“This is a big step towards ending the carnage on our streets, and the Society welcomes this important legislation,” Bill Potts, president of the Queensland Law Society said.

“Research shows that these measures will reduce violence, which is the primary goal here. The Society has always held that preventing the violence in the first place was far better than punishing it after the fact.”

Mr Potts believes the benefits of the new legislation will outweigh the potential drawbacks.

“This time next year there will be people walking around happy and healthy who would otherwise be deceased due to coward-punch attacks – that’s the stark reality of it,” he said.

“Of course, this may mean less business for some people, including criminal lawyers like me, but in this case it is a reduction in clients that we enthusiastically welcome.”

The laws will be independently reviewed after two years of implementation.