The family of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler has written to David Cameron urging him to block ‘unjust and unfair’ civil justice reforms.

In an open letter to the prime minister and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, the family said the reforms would ‘significantly weaken’ the ‘no win no fee’ mechanisms they used to pursue their case against News International.

This week it was reported that the publishing company has agreed a £3m settlement with the Dowlers over claims that Milly’s phone was hacked following her disappearance in 2002.

Calling for the current system of ‘no win no fee’ agreements to be retained, the letter said: ‘We were lucky that we fell under the [current] system. We understand that the new law affects thousands of people who want to sue the News of the World and other newspapers.’

It added: ‘We are sure you don’t want to go down as the prime minister who took the rights away from ordinary people so that large companies could print whatever they like and break the law.’

The reforms are contained in the government’s Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) bill, which will soon receive its third reading in the Commons.

The letters were welcomed by the Law Society, which has piloted the Sound Off For Justice campaign against the reforms.

Desmond Hudson, chief executive of the Society, said: ‘After all they have been through we welcome - and are humbled by - the intervention of the Dowler family in this debate.

‘They have succeeded in making it clear to the prime minister that it is ordinary families with terrible life challenges that will be impacted the most.

‘They will be the losers. As a society we need to protect them and their access to justice.’

He added: ‘The only winners from the government’s proposed changes in the LASPO bill will be insurance companies and large corporations, that will now have to pay out hundreds of millions of pounds less when they commit negligence or other wrongs, such as illegal phone tapping.’

He added that the victims of wrongdoing will be ‘simply too intimidated’ by the financial risks to seek redress if the government’s changes are implemented.

The letters were also welcomed by Steven Heffer, chair of lobby group Lawyers for Media Standards and head of media at law firm Collyer Bristow.

Heffer commented: ‘I have received copies of the two letters delivered to the prime minister and deputy prime minister. These are spot on.

'The effect of the changes will be to take away rights from ordinary people so that newspapers will be able to get away with printing whatever they like and indulge in the kind of gross invasions of privacy which have led to the current public inquiry, without redress.’

Heffer added: ‘The reforms are opposed by the Law Society, the Bar Council, a number of the costs judges in the High Court and yet the coalition government is intent on pushing the measure through.

'The changes are wholly unjustified and designed to assist big business against the interests of ordinary people. Instead of the loser in court claims paying as now, the successful claimant will have to fund a significant proportion of costs out of damages - and contrary to common perception damages in libel and privacy cases are generally very modest.

'The absence of after-the-event insurance will prevent most claimants from taking action against the media, unless they are willing to risk their home and face bankruptcy, in the event that the case is lost.'

He added: ‘That suits the tabloid press, because there will be no remedy for the ordinary individual - a great saving to media corporations but at great cost and terrible injustice to the public. Libel and privacy claims will once again become the preserve of the very rich.’

A Downing Street spokesman said: 'The government is absolutely committed to ensuring that people can access the justice system, regardless of their financial situation, which is why we are committed to maintaining 'no win, no fee' arrangements.

'There are many deserving cases brought before the courts. But we have to stop the abuse of the system by others pursing excessive, costly and unnecessary cases. Under the current arrangements, innocent defendants can face enormous costs, which can discourage them from fighting cases. This simply isn't fair.

'So in order to ensure that the 'no win, no fee' cases continue to provide fair access to justice for all, we have to make changes.

'By balancing the costs more fairly between the claimant and defendant, these changes will ensure that claimants will still be able to bring deserving claims, and receive damages where they are due. Most importantly they will make the 'no win, no fee' system sustainable for the future.'

Read the full letter.