header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us
02 June 2023 / Roger Smith
Issue: 8027 / Categories: Opinion , Legal aid focus
printer mail-detail

Civil legal aid: follow the money

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.
124248
Roger Smith sets out a vision for a national legal aid service—& how we might go about funding it

The Ministry of Justice fared ill under the Osborne-Cameron austerity cuts. As we now enter a new political age—whatever the result of the general election next year—we have to work out a sensible way of going forward from what, frankly, is a mess. This is amply exemplified by the state of civil legal aid.

The cuts’ initial impact, according to the Institute of Fiscal Studies, would have reduced departmental spending by 40%. In the event, this proved too much even for the most gung ho of treasury ministers. The cuts finally plateaued at around 25%—though not before we got the (now revoked) privatisation of the Probation Service and a chaotic court modernisation programme. We also got the evisceration of civil legal aid through the ill-famed Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

Civil legal aid contributed a pretty exact share to the departmental cuts. Its spending declined from £1.3bn

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Penningtons Manches Cooper—Robert Dransfield

Penningtons Manches Cooper—Robert Dransfield

London medical negligence practice strengthened by senior partner hire

DAC Beachcroft—seven appointments

DAC Beachcroft—seven appointments

Firm boosts professional risk practice with team hire in Manchester, led by partner Ben Parks

Doyle Clayton—Benedicte Perowne

Doyle Clayton—Benedicte Perowne

Workplace law firm appoints new head of regulatory team

NEWS
Read All
NLJ this week: Driving test fraudsters steer towards jail
Cheating in driving tests is surging—and courts are responding firmly. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth of De Montfort Law School charts a rise in impersonation and tech-assisted fraud, with 2,844 attempts recorded in a year
NLJ this week: Deepfakes demand data law muscle
As AI-generated ‘deepfake’ images proliferate, the law may already have the tools to respond. In NLJ this week, Jon Belcher of Excello Law argues that such images amount to personal data processing under UK GDPR
NLJ this week: 40% penalty for coercive control
In a striking financial remedies ruling, the High Court cut a wife’s award by 40% for coercive and controlling behaviour. Writing in NLJ this week, Chris Bryden and Nicole Wallace of 4 King’s Bench Walk analyse LP v MP [2025] EWFC 473
NLJ this week: Mbappé row spotlights ‘ethics bonuses’
A €60.9m award to Kylian Mbappé has refocused attention on football’s controversial ‘ethics bonus’ clauses. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Estelle Ivanova of Valloni Attorneys at Law examines how such provisions sit within French labour law
NLJ this week: CPR tweak closes third-party disclosure gap
A seemingly dry procedural update may prove potent. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ this week, Stephen Gold explains that new CPR 31.12A—part of the 193rd update—fills a ‘lacuna’ exposed in McLaren Indy v Alpa Racing
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll