A DIVORCE lawyer has warned that a new law aimed at catching serious criminals and terrorists is set to make criminals of most of us.

Antony Clapp argues that client trust will be destroyed by the Proceeds of Crime Act that forces him and other lawyers to report the smallest irregularity to the authorities.

Mr Clapp says he has no issue with passing on information about serious crimes, such as terrorism, murder, robbery and child abuse. But he would be reluctant to report less serious misdemeanours, as the act requires, because he believes it would erode the freedom of the individual.

He said: "It has been so widely drafted that every single penny of unlawful income, which could be a cash job on a Saturday, could be proceeds of crime because it's untaxed income. The Proceeds of Crime Act is a huge inroad into the traditions of our profession and something that I feel very uncomfortable about.

"It was a pillar of our legal system that you could go and talk to a solicitor in absolute confidentiality, tell them anything and they were professionally bound to keep it confidential."

Mr Clapp has put a notice up in his reception area at Holly Bank Chambers to advise clients of his legal obligations under the act. However, if he withholds the information, however trivial, he faces a criminal offence himself, and could potentially end up in jail for up to 14 years.