Measures contained in the Queen's Speech could lead to solicitors' offices being indiscriminately targeted by police, lawyers warned this week.

Law Society chief executive Janet Paraskeva said the government's plans to tackle law and order were 'a serious step towards a police state'.


The speech laid out plans to enact the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill that will give police the power to arrest in relation to all offences and create 'super warrants' with extended search powers.


Ms Paraskeva said judicial authorisation ought to be sought to prevent the indiscriminate application of new search powers to solicitors' offices.


She said: 'The government is in serious danger of overstating the threat to public order and national security, and bringing in Draconian new laws which will take away centuries of hard-won rights.'


Human Rights specialist Louise Christian, partner at London firm Christian Khan, added: 'If police can charge into a solicitor's office and demand documents, that is the first step towards the kind of situation that exists in the US, where lawyers are required to hand over their notes to the authorities and their client interviews are monitored.'


The speech set out plans for legislation to reform the Criminal Defence Service (CDS) and make 'better use of legal aid resources'. It also referred to a draft Bill to be published to 'support those with legitimate civil claims' and 'reform the system of tribunals'.


Roy Morgan, chairman of the Legal Aid Practitioners Group, said: 'We will wait and see what the legislation on criminal defence will be. But many of our concerns with the CDS Bill have been addressed by the constitutional affairs select committee's findings [on the draft CDS Bill].'


Further plans outlined in the speech included legislation to tackle anti-social behaviour, a draft Bill on rehabilitation and sentencing for juvenile offenders, and legislation on identity cards. A new modern framework for statutory inquiries and an overhaul of charities law were also promised, as well as a new offence of corporate manslaughter.


Ms Christian added: 'The proposals on corporate manslaughter are too little, too late. They will not be introduced until after the general election and they will not make it any easier to prosecute individuals.'