The Law Society and Bar Council have stepped up their joint campaign for legal professional privilege to receive statutory protection in the forthcoming Investigatory Powers Bill.

In a position paper they argue that privilege is a vital principle of the administration of justice.

Law Society president Jonathan Smithers said: ‘The government now has the opportunity to debate legislation that gives statutory protection to the client-lawyer relationships that a civilised society depends on, while including safeguards against abuse for criminal purposes.’