Barristers, human rights activists and the judiciary have united to condemn David Blunkett's new plans for tougher jail sentences for murderers.

Mark Littlewood of civil rights group Liberty said: "Longer prison sentences may help the home secretary appear 'tough' but they will do nothing to reduce crime. The appropriate sentence for any crime needs to be set by a judge.

"Sentences should not be determined by politicians who do not know the specifics of a case and may be more interested in securing headlines than in securing good justice."

But the families of murder victims welcomed Blunkett's "life means life" approach.