Doctors' leaders and legal experts say that government plans to lower the level of proof needed to convict doctors of professional misconduct are unfair and probably unworkable.

Gordon Brown, the prime minister, last week announced details of a new Health and Social Care Bill, which will be introduced in the next parliament. At the heart of the bill will be a shake-up of the regulation of the medical profession.

The proposed reorganisation was announced by the chief medical officer, Liam Donaldson, a year ago (BMJ 2006;333:163, doi: 10.1136/bmj.333.7560.163). He proposed that key aspects of the General Medical Council's regulatory role would be diminished. The council would no longer act as prosecutor, …