Attempts to eradicate racism in the workplace within a decade will be damaged by the sheer length of the new race relations code, lawyers have warned.

The Commission for Racial Equality's new draft code runs to 99 pages. "I don’t think there was a general awareness of the previous code, even though it was only 14 pages," said Jo Evans, head of the discrimination group at Addleshaw Goddard law firm.

"I certainly don’t think that employers will read 99 pages. People don’t have the time."

It comes as ministers face warnings from the joint human rights committee that a new equality watchdog expected to replace existing regulators in 2006 should be given tough new powers to force public sector organisations to promote human rights.