The move was amended to a motion on home affairs passed by delegates in Brighton after being introduced by Taunton MP Jackie Ballard.

The debate also called for an additional 6,000 police officers, named community police officers and the development of "working prisons" with an emphasis on rehabilitation and education.

The Liberal Democrats also want to establish a royal commission to develop drugs policies, use fines from white collar crime to fund crime prevention and review public broadcasting.

'Haunted until death'

The party is the first to call for an alteration of gender on transsexuals' birth certificates.

Jackie Ballard told delegates a birth certificate which did not include a change in gender was a "piece of paper which haunts transsexuals until death".

The issue was not just about social acceptance but about rights in courts.

Eurovision song contest winner Dana International and Hayley Paterson in Coronation Street had done more to further the cause of transsexuals but they still failed to have equality before the law, she said.

Anna Boyer, a transsexual woman from Leicester, told the conference how her birth certificate was part of her daily life.

Only by having it changed would restore her privacy and dignity, she said.

She said: "If this government believes its own manifesto it will end the unjustifiable discrimination which exists and allow birth certificates to be changed."

Freedom threatened by crime

Lib Dems want "working prisons"

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Alan Beith told delegates the protection of civil liberties was at the heart of home affairs.

The Home Office was the ministry of freedom to protect citizen, he said.

Mr Beith told delegates: "Crime and fear of crime restricts the diminishes the freedom of vast numbers of people.

"The test of home secretaries isn't how tough they can talk about punishment but how effective their policies are to ensure there are far fewer crimes and far fewer victims."

He said it was never safe to leave civil liberties in the hands of government - not even a Liberal Democrat government.

'Control freaks'

Mr Beith criticised the Labour for being "control freaks" who were "flakey" on a freedom of information act.

Later in the debate, there were repeated calls for both the judiciary and the police service to reflect the people they serve.

John Vincent from Reigate said the party could not accept "the domination of the judiciary by one stereotype".

Councillor Diana Carpenter was applauded by delegates when she asked for support for a drugs driving campaign.

She condemned drugs czar Keith Hellawell's recommendation of synthetic cannabis to be prescribed to relieve suffering.

Those in need of the drug would be better off with pure cannabis and not a cocktail of more chemicals, she said.