He won't listen to lawyers, former judges, civil libertarians or the opposition, but Premier Campbell Newman says he's listening to Queenslanders.
The state government continues to trade blows with the legal fraternity and numerous critics in a bitter row over tough new anti-bikie and sex offender laws.
The laws impose mandatory prison sentences on bikies and give the state's attorney-general the power to decide if sex offenders are locked up until they die, bypassing the courts.
Tony Fitzgerald, a former judge who led a 1987-89 inquiry into police corruption, usually avoids the spotlight, but has handed down a scathing verdict on the laws.
He says it's foolhardy and arrogant for politicians to make major changes without consulting legal experts, and incomprehensible to slander those who don't agree with them.
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Mr Fitzgerald also says the government does not have a mandate to allow prejudices and ill-informed opinions to influence judgments.
Gary Crooke, QC, who assisted the 1980s inquiry, says the new laws remind him of that time.
"This smacks of the very deep-rooted problems that were so vividly brought to life in the Fitzgerald inquiry," he said.
"This notion of absolutely draconian punishment will go down in history as a parallel to people who were sent to Australia for stealing a slice of bread.
"Or, perish the thought, the things that happen in totalitarian countries, where those that disagree are sent to concentration camps."
Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said power was going to the premier's head.
"I am very concerned that these laws will lead back to a very dark place to a very dark time in our state's history," she said.
"We should learn from the lessons of the past."
Cabinet ministers toed the government line on Monday, insisting the laws wouldn't target only the "worst of the worst" criminals, not "tuckshop ladies".
Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie said Mr Fitzgerald was entitled to his opinions, but said the government had a mandate to "rebalance the scales of justice".
Mr Newman added that the most important opinion was that of the people.
"The opinion of all Queenslanders is that they support these tough laws."
AAP ka/mjs/jac
