Australia's peak legal body has criticised the government's proposed citizenship crackdown, arguing some elements of the package are unnecessary, threaten the nation's social cohesion and hand the immigration minister a concerning amount of power.

The Law Council of Australia has taken aim at a suite of measures the government first announced in April that have been opposed by Labor and referred to a Senate inquiry. Under the changes, aspiring citizens would have to achieve a "competent" level of English and face a four-year wait as permanent residents before they can seek citizenship.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at an Australia Day citizenship ceremony in January. Credit:Jamila Toderas

Applicants would also have to demonstrate integration into society and face an "Australian values" test.

In its submission to the inquiry, the Law Council has argued the toughened English language test for applicants is not justified, the power for the immigration minister to disregard Administrative Appeals Tribunal decisions erodes the rule of law, and a test on Australian values is "unprecedented" overreach.