The lord chief justice has called on parliament to consider whether the names of people accused of rape should be kept secret until they are convicted.

While today's papers devote acres of print to dissecting the John Leslie case, Lord Woolf told reporters yesterday that there was a "fine balance" over the question of whether people accused of rape should be exposed to publicity before conviction.

"Where the balance should be would be helped by being clarified by parliament. This is something on which I feel parliament is perfectly designed to deal with rather than an individual judge. I would prefer to hold my counsel as to my own personal view," he said.

"I do believe in public trial and I do believe that defendants should be identified, as should witnesses in general, but we do have special provisions in relation to rape cases. At the same time, it would be wrong to have trial by media. It is the court's job to try people."

The government is opposed to reintroducing anonymity for rape defendants.

A Home Office spokesman said: "We do not believe there is any justification for those accused of sexual offences to be singled out for special protection where other defendants, including those accused of murder, could be identified."

The future of the Scotland Yard unit which investigated the Leslie case, SCD6, is now in question. It was also responsible for the trial of former Royal butler Paul Burrell which collapsed.