The Bar Council is launching three groups to respond to the Government's 'Governance of Britain' Green Paper, the body was announced today (18 July).

The groups, which will be set up by Bar Council chairman Geoffrey Vos QC in the coming months, will look at constitutional issues and the proposed Bill of Rights & Duties; the role of the Attorney General; and the promotion of greater awareness of citizenship, especially among younger people.

Issues including the right to a fair trial, the presumption of innocence, trial by jury for serious offences and freedom of speech will all come under the constitutional group's scrutiny.

Vos urged the Government not to ignore the profession's reaction to its proposals.

He said: "Parliamentary committees produce well thought-out reports which are not acted upon. The House of Lords works to make improvements to Bills which are promptly reversed in the Commons. The Government must show change in practice, not just an appetite for it."

Last month the Government rejected six key amendments to the Legal Services Bill put forward by the House of Lords and widely backed by the legal profession, including attempts to limit Whitehall's powers to make appointments to the new Legal Services Board.