Opposition leader Tzipi Livni welcomed a British government decision to amend a law that will prevent politically motivated campaign groups using British courts to secure arrest warrants for visiting foreign officials.

Livni was forced to cancel a trip in December after a pro-Palestinian group succeeded in obtaining an arrest warrant to detain her on arrival. Livni said Thursday, she welcomed the decision, adding all countries who fight against terror should adopt a similar policy.

A statement issued by Livni's office said, “The British legal system has been abused by cynical elements in the United Kingdom which have done injustice to the whole country. This is important news for every country in the Free World which is fighting terror, and it sends out a vital message that when something correct must be done, the entire political establishment gets on board, even if this means going through the absurd situation of an arrest warrant being issued for me.”
 

The Daily Telegraph said Thursday, under the proposal the Crown Prosecution Service will take responsibility for prosecuting war crimes and other violations of international law, thereby ending the current situation in which magistrates must consider a case for an arrest warrant presented by any individual.
 

Prime Minister Gordon Brown was expected to present the proposed legal changes to a parliamentary committee on Thursday, the newspaper said.

Writing in the paper, Brown said proposals would put the public prosecution service – as opposed to judges – in charge of considering whether an arrest warrant should be issued in any case brought under international law.
 

"The only question for me is whether our purpose is best served by a process where an arrest warrant for the gravest crimes can be issued on the slightest of evidence," wrote the prime minister in the paper. "As we have seen, there is now significant danger of such a provision being exploited by politically-motivated organizations or individuals," he said.
 

There is already growing reason to believe that some people are not prepared to travel to this country for fear that such a private arrest warrant — motivated purely by political gesture — might be sought against them, Brown wrote.
 

"These are sometimes people representing countries and interests with which the U.K. must engage if we are not only to defend our national interest but maintain and extend an influence for good across the globe. Britain cannot afford to have its standing in the world compromised for the sake of tolerating such gestures," the prime minister said.
 

The move follows attempts by a pro-Palestinian group to issue an arrest warrant for Tzipi Livni on learning of her intended visit to Britain in December, accusing her of war crimes during Israel’s military offensive in Gaza last year.

The move sparked outrage in Israel, and Livni cancelled her visit.

In the past pro-Palestinian organizations have attempted to bring about the arrest of other visiting Israeli officials, including senior military officers and even Israeli government ministers.