ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ research helped document the serious social and economic consequences of reducing public access to legal aid
What was the problem?
Legal Aid was first introduced in the UK in 1949 as a pillar of the welfare state. Rounds of funding cuts to this provision in 2004, 2007 and 2010 resulted in the introduction of 'fixed fees' for particular areas of law, including immigration and asylum, and led to many legal providers turning down complex cases funded through legal aid.
By 2013 the annual bill for legal aid had risen to £2 billion and the British system had become one of the most expensive in the world.