The president of the Fiji Law Society, Dorsami Naidu, says authorities behaved like thugs in raiding its offices, threatening arrests and removing files without due process.
Mr Naidu says the new chief registrar and a group of plain clothes men, who entered the society's Suva offices on Saturday evening, removed confidential files relating to complaints against Law Society members and threatened one man with arrest.
The society has been told the Fiji government is taking over the organisation's powers to issue lawyers' practising certificates and deal with complaints.
Mr Naidu says this decree removes any remaining independence for lawyers.
He says lawyers in Fiji risk losing their fearlessness following the raid and a change in licensing procedures.
Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says the reforms will improve transparency and access to justice.
He told Morning Report on Monday the interim government has brought in new professional standards for the profession.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum says in the past these standards were just a vague set of rules that one had to adhere to.
He says the new system will help address up to 90 outstanding complaints made against some of Fiji's top lawers.
Mr Naidu says the attorney-general is wrong to suggest complaints are not investigated fairly, and those personally accused are not involved in looking at complaints.
He says the society will continue to function as a voluntary organsiation.
New Zealand Law Society president John Marshall QC says lawyers in Fiji have in the past stood up to the regime and acted courageously and the latest move threatens the independence of the legal system.
He says the changes are being made by decree by a regime that has itself been declared unlawful, with the clear objective of reducing the law society's influence.
