Review of Civil Legal Aid

About the Review

The Ministry of Justice isundertook undertaking a Review of Civil Legal Aid.Aid, which launched in January 2023.

The Review isconsidered considering the civil legal aid system in its entirety, from how services are procured,procured and how well the current system works for users and providers, andto how civil legal aid impacts the wider justice system.

To support policy development, the Review willincluded includefour 4 analytical workstreams toas adoptits a comprehensive data-gathering approach:

1. 1. Economic analysis of the structurefunctioning of the civil legal aid market. market

   This workstream isaimed assessingto howassess the marketcurrent isfunctioning currentlyof functioningthe civil legal aid market and identifyingidentify the root causes of its problems. ItThe worksresearch tofor formthis anworkstream assessmentwas ofconducted theby marketa basedresearch onfirm/consultancy, demandPA trendsConsulting.

   Two inreports thehave civilbeen legalpublished aidfrom system,this supply,workstream.

   The howProvider incentivesSurvey affectReport different(published typesin January 2024): This report presents the findings of providers,a andqualitative marketsurvey competitiveness.conducted Thein workstreamOctober aims2023, toexploring formthe anexperiences evidenceof baseproviders, their motivations for structuralworking changesin thatlegal willaid, enhanceand efficiency,the effectiveness,barriers andthey sustainability.face. ThisThe workstreamsurvey hasreceived been228 contractedresponses, torepresenting anapproximately external18% supplier,of PAthe Consulting.

2. Comparativecivil analysislegal ofaid systemsmarket at the time.

   The Market Research Report (published in otherNovember countries.2024): This workstreamreport isexamines conductingkey aissues comparativein analysisthe of civil legal aid systemsmarket, insuch sixas countriesdemand (Australia,and Canada,supply Finland,trends, Therecruitment Netherlands,and Scotlandretention, and Thethe USA).financial Theviability goalof isproviding tocivil identifylegal promisingaid approachesfor providers. These issues are analysed to improveprovide insights into the efficiencyoverall health and effectivenesssustainability of deliveringthe civil legal aid andmarket.

   2. accessComparative toanalysis justiceof indomestic England and Wales.international civil legal aid systems

   This workstream hasinvolved beena conductedcomparative byanalysis theof Opensix Innovationdomestic Teamand (aninternational in-Governmentcivil consultancylegal service).

3. Aaid seriessystems: ofAustralia, dataCanada, publications.Finland, Thesethe willNetherlands beand athe seriesUSA, ofand documentswithin summarisingthe keyUnited descriptiveKingdom, informationScotland. aboutThe thegoal provisionwas ofto civilidentify legalpromising aidapproaches services,to withdelivering acivil focuslegal onaid changesto overinform time.policy Startingdevelopment withfor anthe overviewsystem ofin theEngland marketand basedWales. onThis dataanalysis sharinginvolved agreementscollaboration with Theexperts, Lawpractitioners, Society and Baracademics Council,from subsequentthese reportssystems. willThe provideOpen deepInnovation divesTeam, intoan keyin-house challengesgovernment andconsultancy areasservice, ofconducted interest.the analysis.

   The dataworkstream’s publicationsconcluding arereport beingwas producedpublished internallyin byMarch the2024.

   3. MoJ.

4. Social research ofon user journeys.experiences with civil legal aid

   This ongoing workstream comprisesaims qualitativeto researchstrengthen withthe peopleevidence whobase haveon previouslyuser accessedexperiences of the civil legal aid,aid thosesystem. whoIt supportinvestigates legaluser aidawareness users,of andthe legalsystem, aidbarriers practitioners.to Throughaccess, theseexperiences differentin perspectives,securing theand researchworking aimswith toa exploreprovider, users’and experiencesthe complexities of civil legal aid,aid toprocesses. identifyThe issuesworkstream is based on social research, using insights gained from aqualitative userinterviews perspective,with users, trusted intermediaries, and tolegal provideaid anproviders.

   Two evidencereports basehave forbeen policypublished development.from Athis reviewworkstream, ofeach existingoffering literaturedifferent insights by focusing on the user experience isfrom alsodistinct being undertaken.

The Reviewfirst ofreport, Civilpublished Legalin AidNovember will2024, publishfocuses reportson forthe allperspectives workstreams,of releasingusers evidenceand paperstrusted onintermediaries.

The thissecond websitereport, aheadpublished ofin theNovember conclusion2024, offocuses RoCLA’son evidencethe buildingperspectives phase.of providers.

Policy

4. developmentData ispublications

This takingongoing placeworkstream alongsideaims theto researchprovide workstreams,key consolidatingdescriptive theinformation fourabout analyticalsolicitors workstreams and ensuringbarristers theywho fitdo withcivil RoCLA’slegal overarchingaid. objectivesFrom anda supportprovider-centric theview, MoJ’sit strategicsummarises visionchanges forin the futurecomposition of the Civil,market Family and Tribunaldemographic justicetrends system.over Policytime.

Two developmentreports willhave continuebeen afterpublished thefrom conclusionthis ofworkstream.

The theAdvocacy Review’sResearch evidenceReport building(published phase.in WeNovember will2024): thenThis holdreport aexplores public consultation. 

Throughout the process,experiences theof MoJadvocates willwho engagerepresent withcivil stakeholderslegal toaid ensureusers thatin allcourt. findingsThrough arequalitative relevantinterviews andwith basedadvocates on(barristers aand thoroughnon-barristers) understandingand ofinstructing thesolicitors, issuesit affectingdelves into the civilfactors legalinfluencing aidsolicitors’ system,selection andof toan testadvocate, policythe thinking.  

Theincentives Reviewand willdisincentives enableadvocates theexperience governmentin toworking developin optionscivil forlegal shapingaid, aand moretheir effective,perspectives efficient,on andthe sustainablesustainability systemof forcivil legal aid providersadvocacy. andThe theresearch peoplewas whoconducted relyby onan legalexternal aid.

Callresearch forfirm, evidence

The ReviewData ofPublications CivilOverview LegalReport Aid(published hasin launchedNovember a2024): callThis forreport evidence,provides openingsummary data on 10practitioners January(including 2024barristers and closingsolicitors) onand 21providers Februaryin 2024.the Wecivil arelegal invitingaid interestedmarket, partieshighlighting atchanges thein hearttheir ofcomposition theover civiltime. legalThis aidanalysis systemcombines toadministrative submitdata evidenceheld thatby willthe informLegal Aid Agency with the Review,results strengtheningof itstwo evidencedata basematching andexercises: feedingone intobetween the developmentMOJ ofand shortThe Law Society, relating to solicitors and long-termsolicitor policyfirms solutions.

Latestdoing fromcivil thelegal Review 

Theaid, Reviewand ofthe Civilsecond Legalbetween Aid:the ProviderMOJ Surveyand Reportthe producedBar byCouncil, PArelating Consultingto wasbarristers publisheddoing oncivil 19legal January.aid.

Terms of Reference

Further information on the purpose, outcomes and scope of the Review as a whole can be found in the Overarching Terms of Reference for the Review of Civil Legal Aid (PDF, 125 KB, 6 pages).