Law Society President Andrew Holroyd wrote to the Secretary of State for Justice Jack Straw this week to express 'grave concern' at press reports of the bugging of conversations between solicitors and their clients at Woodhill Prison in Berkshire.


The London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association (LCCSA) is also to write to Mr Straw to press home its concerns.



LCCSA President Tan Ikram said many solicitors have suspected for years that they were being bugged. He said: 'This behaviour fundamentally undermines the client/solicitor relationship and more widely could undermine convictions. If the state has sanctioned this practice we want to know why.'



Mr Holroyd called for explicit legislative safeguards protecting the confidentiality of privileged conversations.



Catherine Baksi