THE UK Government’s plans for resolving cross-border legal disputes following Brexit have been branded “vague and incoherent” by pro-EU campaigners even before their publication today.

This afternoon, the Brexit department will make public its latest policy paper on judicial co-operation once Britain has left the jurisdiction of the European courts post Brexit in March 2019.

Ahead of publication, UK Government sources promoted its plans of a “new reciprocal arrangement,” stressing how it would give families, individuals and businesses “certainty to resolve disputes in a clear and sensible way”.

One said: “Close co-operation in this area isn’t just in the interest of the UK citizens living in the EU, it’s in the interest of the 3.2 million EU citizens living here in Britain.

“For example, with more and more families living across borders, we need to make absolutely sure that if and when problems arise, they can be reassured that cross-border laws will apply to them in a fair and sensible way.

“By setting out a very clear position on this, we hope that we will be able to work with the European Commission to agree a reasoned approach that works for families here in Britain and across the European Union.”

The Brexit department believes the proposals will help to bring clarity to those involved in disputes regarding which country’s courts will hear a case, which country’s law will be used to resolve it and that a judgement obtained in one country can be recognised and enforced in another.

However, no details were given about the proposed new arrangements.

Previously in terms of a future trade deal, David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, has spoken of how the UK Government would consider setting up a new arbitration body that would include European officials to rule on future trade disputes. However, he made it clear this would not mean the European Court of Justice continuing to have a role; something Theresa May has made a red-line issue.

Labour’s Alison McGovern on behalf of Open Britain, which supports closer links with the EU, said: “The vagueness and incoherence of the Government’s proposals prove what an appalling error they committed by making ending the jurisdiction of the ECJ a red line in negotiations.

“To have any kind of relationship with Europe – be it on trade, citizens’ rights or security – there will need to be a court in place to resolve disputes. That court will include European judges, will have the power to make decisions that affect the UK, and most likely will shadow the ECJ in the vast majority of cases.”

The Wirral MP added: “The Government will end up taking back control from one court and immediately handing it to another, which is hardly what millions of people had in mind when they voted for Brexit.”

Her Labour colleague, Sir Keir Starmer, the Shadow Brexit Secretary, said the Government policy papers “offer precious little new information or concrete proposals”.

He claimed ministers were guilty of publishing “bland, non-committal papers” as a smokescreen to mask their failure to make any meaningful progress on phase one's core negotiating issues, including citizens' rights.

"Instead of preparing the ground for failure, the Government should focus on reaching an early agreement to the first stage of talks and make an early commitment to establish strong transitional arrangements," he added.

The Government on Monday published proposals to ensure the trade in goods and services could continue with Europe after the point at which the UK left the EU.

It called for goods already on the market to be allowed to remain on sale in the UK and EU without additional requirements or restrictions following Brexit.

And it said any agreement should allow oversight arrangements to remain in place, permitting action to be taken against unsafe or non-compliant goods to preserve patient safety and consumer protection.

A second paper recommended a reciprocal agreement to ensure continued confidentiality for official documents shared by Britain with its EU partners while it was a member state.

Elsewhere, little hope was given by Alexander Winterstein, the Commission spokesman, to bolster Mr Davis’s desire that talks on a trade deal with the EU would begin in October.

“The fact that these papers are coming out is…welcome because we see this as a positive step towards now really starting the process of negotiations.

"But as Michel Barnier[the EU’s chief negotiator] has said time and again, we have to have sufficient progress first on the three areas of citizens' rights, financial settlement and Ireland, and only then can we move forwards to discussing the future relationship.

"The important thing is to realise the clock is ticking, we have no time to lose and we need to get on with it,” he added.

The third round of Brexit talks is due to start in Brussels next week.