Senior lawyers have fiercely criticised the national integrity commission model proposed by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, labelling it a "disaster" and having "no teeth".

Key points: Senior lawyers say the proposal is a "disaster" that lacks "teeth" and will be conducted in secrecy

Senior lawyers say the proposal is a "disaster" that lacks "teeth" and will be conducted in secrecy The proposed commission will have separate divisions for law enforcement and public service, with no public hearings for the latter

The proposed commission will have separate divisions for law enforcement and public service, with no public hearings for the latter The PM insists the investigative body will provide evidence briefs to prosecutors

Mr Morrison and Attorney-General Christian Porter revealed their proposal for an anti-corruption commission on Thursday, arguing it was the most sensible way to deal with allegations of misconduct and corruption in the public sector.

The proposed Commonwealth Integrity Commission (CIC) has two divisions, one dealing with investigating law enforcement and the other the broader public service.

The latter will not have public hearings.

Geoffrey Watson SC acted as counsel assisting the New South Wales ICAC during the investigation into former Labor powerbroker Eddie Obeid, who has since been convicted and jailed for misconduct in public office.

"The way in which the Government is modelling this proposed commission, it's a disaster," he told ABC News.

"It's worse than having no commission, in my opinion.

"Picture for yourself what would have happened if the recent banking royal commission had been held in secret. It would have done no good at all.

"What about the royal commission into institutional child abuse? If that had been conducted in secrecy, it would have been, as it were, an extension of the original problem — the original secrecy."

No teeth and no powers, according to former ICAC boss

Former commissioner of the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption David Ipp echoed Mr Watson's comments and described the model proposed by the Prime Minister as powerless.

"I think he's created the kind of integrity commission you'd want to have when you didn't want to have one," Mr Ipp told ABC Radio Melbourne.

"It has no teeth, it has no powers."

Mr Morrison yesterday described some state based anti-corruption bodies as "kangaroo courts" and singled out the NSW ICAC as a "lesson in what not to do".

Mr Ipp dismissed the criticism as "rubbish" and said ICAC only held open hearings when it was it was in the public interest.

"This allegation that they're kangaroo courts and people have had their reputations unfairly besmirched are just smokescreens."

Comments from former solicitor-general Bret Walker SC about the potential for anti-corruption hearings to become a media circus was cited by the Attorney-General as a reason for the proposed model.

"It doesn't follow from that that it's a body that only proceeds in private," Mr Walker told RN Breakfast, suggesting the commission should have discretion to open its hearings.

Mr Morrison and Mr Porter suggested the CIC may also cover judicial officers, subject to consultation.

"We've made it very clear to both the Attorney-General and to the Shadow Attorney-General that judicial officers should not be the subject of the Commonwealth Integrity Commission's jurisdiction," Law Council of Australia President-elect Arthur Moses SC told the ABC.

"There should be a national judicial commission that is established to investigate complaints against judges, whether it be because of misconduct or impairment, and should be modelled based on the New South Wales Judicial Commission operations.

"In no way should there be a situation where the executive oversees the investigation of allegations against judicial officers, because it would have the tendency of undermining judicial independence, or at least creating the appearance that judicial independence is being impacted upon by actions of the executive."

PM defends proposed commission's powers

Mr Morrison dismissed the criticism of his anti-corruption commission and said it would be an "investigative body" that would provide a brief of evidence to prosecutors.

"There is no point in having a kangaroo court and issuing press releases," he said.

"What you need is an investigative body with teeth that can pull together and investigate and put a brief together.

"That is what we are giving them the powers to do — to hunt this stuff down, deal with it and see people brought to justice."

The Government has also rejected Labor's accusations that it was trying to exempt itself from the commission's scope.

"This will apply to any criminal conduct, that is whether it's occurring now or has occurred previously if that conduct was a crime at that time," Mr Morrison said.

He insists while new corruption offences being introduced would not apply retrospectively, there was nothing to stop the new commission investigating behaviour that was already classified as criminal.