The delayed Justice Bill will be unveiled in the House of Commons this afternoon by justice secretary Kenneth Clarke.

He is expected to outline deep cuts to the legal aid budget and plans for an overhaul of civil litigation funding – including plans to charge success fees to claimants rather than defendants.

Campaigners fear the arguments over legal aid and civil litigation costs may have been overshadowed by the media spotlight falling on the Ministry of Justice scrapping proposals to allow criminals to halve their sentence for an early guilty plea.

The Consumer Justice Alliance, set up in response to civil litigation reforms, told the Gazette the government has ‘underestimated the public feeling’ against many of its key proposals.

The Law Society has pioneered a campaign to preserve legal aid, Sound off for Justice, which now has 20,000 backers.

The Society’s chief executive Des Hudson appeared on Radio 4’s Today programme this morning to highlight the campaign. He said he fears cuts to the legal aid budget could be even higher than the £350m proposed because of retreats over sentencing.

Hudson tweeted: ‘The proposed cuts will end up costing more money, increase criminality. If the government’s proposed cuts go ahead – how will the vulnerable have access to justice?’

The Sound off for Justice campaign will carry live commentary of the bill on its website, from 1.30pm as the Justice Bill is debated in the Commons.

The Gazette website will have all the reaction to the proposals this afternoon as they are revealed.