Martin Partington: Spotlight on the Justice System

The Legal Aid scheme came into being 60 years ago (July 1949). Although the scheme that exists today is very different from the original scheme, it is still a crucial part of the modern legal system. For an introduction to the modern scheme see http://www.legalaid60.org.uk/.

Currently there are big questions relating to how legal aid will develop over the next 60 years. Government spending on legal aid is not insignificant – certainly more generous per head of population than that in any other country. But there is great concern that the legal aid scheme is failing to provide adequate services to all those who need them. Lawyers working within the scheme complain about the difficulty of earning reasonable salaries; those outside the legal aid scheme argue that the current system is not cost-effective. There will be on-going debate about the future of legal aid, and how legal aid should be delivered.