The new leader of the English Bar has vowed to fight a "profoundly illiberal" home secretary over reforms of the criminal justice system.

Matthias Kelly QC warned David Blunkett's proposals to abolish the double jeopardy rule, restrict jury trials and reveal defendants' convictions would lead to innocent people being jailed.

Barristers fear innocent people will suffer

But a "powerful coalition" of MPs and peers from all parties, the legal profession and civil liberties groups will wage an intense battle against the Criminal Justice Bill, Mr Kelly told the Daily Telegraph.

Mr Kelly, who takes over as chairman of the Bar Council in January, said he wanted to preserve the fairness of the current system.

"I do not want to sacrifice it for short-term political expediency," he told the paper.

Mr Blunkett has argued the bill is designed to weight the system in the interests of the victims of crime.

'Tough on rights'

If the double jeopardy law was scrapped a defendant could be tried again for the same crime if compelling new evidence arose.

Also under the new proposals, judges would be allowed to sit without juries in complex cases such as fraud trials, and where there is a danger of intimidation or bribery, such as in major drugs or gangland violence cases.

Mr Kelly said the public would choose more policemen over reform of the criminal justice system.

"There is something about the Home Office that brings out these really penal instincts in people. Mr Blunkett is profoundly illiberal," he said.

He is expected to use his inaugural speech to the Bar Council on Tuesday to attack ministers.

According to the paper he will say: "The government is neither tough on crime nor tough on the causes of crime.

"It is tough on people's rights."