A church-led coalition that includes the state's peak legal bodies is lobbying the NSW government to decriminalise drugs in a campaign to be launched this month by Sir Richard Branson.

The NSW and ACT synods of the Uniting Church and its service arm, Uniting, are spearheading the call to have illegal substances decriminalised for personal use in a movement backed by 60 organisations, including the Law Society of NSW, the NSW Bar Association, and the NSW branch of the Health Services Union.

Richard Branson will speak at the event at Sydney Town Hall. Credit:Bloomberg

The Virgin boss, who has long advocated ending the war on drugs, will be the star speaker at the Sydney Town Hall event on October 12.

Uniting senior executive Doug Taylor said the organisation believed it was the only Christian church globally to create a policy around decriminalisation, “throwing some muscle” behind the agenda.