So Alistair Carmichael has survived the headline court challenge to oust him as MP for Orkney and Shetland. But he is not yet out of the woods, so to speak. 
 
The court found he had told a blatant lie but, on a legal point, was not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that it could properly be characterised as a false statement of fact in relation to the MP's "personal character or conduct".
 
The former Secretary of State would have heaved a sigh of relief at what he believes was a politically motivated attempt by the SNP to unseat him from Westminster while his critics will believe the judgement is flawed and that their outrage over so-called "Frenchgate" will continue. 
 
Despite his victory, Mr Carmichael has been damaged by the court case. To be called a liar in open court is hardly a positive development and will be something his opponents can and probably will use from here until election day.
 
The process has been difficult for the MP but he has a thick skin; the biggest affect has been on his family.
 
Mr Carmichael has said the court case marked the "unhealthy polarisation of Scottish politics since the referendum" and anyone who bothers to read Twitter or online comments will have difficulty in disagreeing that the tone of British politics has, in places, been lowered to a worrying level. Witness the fall-out to the Syria debate with MPs getting death threats let alone nasty online abuse.
 
But the ex-Cabinet Minister is not yet free from the shadow of expulsion.
 
Kathryn Hudson, the parliamentary commissioner for standards, is investigating Frenchgate and Mr Carmichael's role within it.
 
But this throws up another conundrum. Why is she investigating the Lib Dem, when at the time, he was not an MP? The controversy occurred after Parliament was dissolved for the General Election. Her remit is to look into the behaviour of MPs. When I tried to find out the reason for this, the commissioner's office drew up the drawbridge and said she did not comment on her investigations in any regard. 
 
So, we have to wait. It is likely Mr Carmichael and his family will spend Christmas with the shadow still over them. Ms Hudson's report to the standards committee could come before then but is likely to be early in the New Year.
 
But, of course, the former Secretary of State will have a defence if the standards watchdog finds against him; namely, he was not a member of parliament at the time, so any negative finding will be nugatory. 
 
Yet this will not stop his opponents from using Frenchgate to seek to undermine him whenever they please. 
 
The Carmichael saga grinds on.