The Law Society has joined criminal defence solicitors in welcoming the tough line taken by the House of Lords in pushing for amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill, including scuppering plans that would allow defendants' previous convictions to be raised in court.

However, they are holding their breath to see what form the legislation will ultimately take following horse-trading between the Lords and the government, which is expected to end next week.

Still on the table, and of concern to the Lords, are proposals relating to the double jeopardy rule and advance defence disclosure.

The Society - along with many members of the House - still has concerns that the list of offences for retrial is too long, while it remains fundamentally opposed to the disclosure proposals as they might move the system away from the basic tenet that the prosecution should prove its case.

The Lords rejected allowing defendants' bad character to be raised in court by 71 votes.

This was amended to a watered-down version, reflecting the Law Commission's restricted draft reform.

Law Society President Peter Williamson said the original proposals would have allowed irrelevant information into court and prejudiced fair trials, and urged the government to accept the amendment when it returns to the Commons.

The amendments follow a previous watering down of proposals on DNA and fingerprints so that people do not have their details held indefinitely, and the abandonment of restrictions on the right to trial by jury.

Rodney Warren, director of the Criminal Law Solicitors Association, said: 'We are ultimately hoping to see an acknowledgement that justice is about rights of the defendant and fairness, as much as it is about the search for the truth'.

Paula Rohan