Former Met Commissioner to advise Miliband

Lord John Stevens, the former Metropolitan Police Commissioner, is to lead a sweeping review of policing for Labour, the shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper will tell the conference today.

The party will attempt to put ministers on the defensive over law and order by announcing the recruitment of Lord Stevens, once courted by the Tories to stand as London Mayor.

Since he stepped down as Commissioner, he has headed inquiries into the death of Princess Diana and into alleged corruption in English football. He also wrote a regular column in the News Of The World, in which he called for the death penalty for the murder of police officers.

His in-tray could include whether the current structure of 44 police forces in England and Wales needs to be overhauled and whether the rank structure should be changed.

Labour's move comes as tensions grow between the Home Office and police officers over cuts to budgets and planned reforms to their pay and conditions. Ms Cooper will accuse the Government of sowing "chaos and confusion" in police ranks.

She will tell the Liverpool conference: "Now is the time for a serious vision for the future of policing, a Royal Commission or heavyweight independent review. The Government has refused to do so. So we will."

She will also urge the Government to abandon plans for elected police commissioners and moves to reduce the numbers on the DNA database.

Sadiq Khan, the shadow Justice Secretary, will commit a Labour government to introduce a "victims' law", including the guaranteed release of a body to relatives within 28 days and the promise that they will be warned by judges in advance about distressing court evidence.

The move has been recommended by Louise Casey, the Government's Victims Commissioner, but has yet to be adopted by ministers.