The report was commissioned by the Law Society of Scotland

Professor David McCrone, of Edinburgh University, said the plans could prove a costly "hammer to crack a nut".

He also said the Legal Profession and Legal Aid Bill was based on a "quick and dirty" consultation exercise.

The executive has said the bill would improve the transparency of legal complaints handling.

The report by Professor McCrone, co-director of the university's Institute of Governance, was commissioned by the Law Society of Scotland.

It questioned whether the new system, which includes proposals to establish a Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) to handle complaints against lawyers, will be "fit for purpose".

'Elementary howlers'

Professor McCrone also said the analysis of the consultation paper had "left a lot to be desired".

"It contains some elementary howlers," he said.

"It does not seem sensible to let politicians get away with lazy nostrums based on half-baked evidence."

The Law Society has criticised the bill for lacking detail on how the SLCC would be funded and the levies to be imposed on solicitors.

Douglas Mill, the society's chief executive said: "The costs lack specification and foundation and they are likely, to impact markedly on the high street of Scotland - the very area of 'people law' which is under most financial pressure."

The Law Society will call on the Justice 2 Committee to correct what it claims are flaws in the bill when it begins taking oral evidence on Tuesday.