Justice Minister Simon Power says the oversight of the legal profession will increase substantially as a result of changes it plans to make to the legal aid system.
The Government has released more details about law reforms it will introduce following a scathing report on the present system, released last year.
The legal services agency will be disestablished, the public defence service will be extended and legal aid lawyers will have to be accredited every three years.
Mr Power says criteria for that is likely to include feedback from members of the legal profession, client feedback and court observation.
He concedes some lawyers will find meeting the new competency standards a challenge.
The minister hopes to have the new performance system in place by July 2012.
