Policy and research

Research

The Board has developed its research capacity to provide to the public, policy makers and other stakeholders, better information about the operation of the legal aid system. Read more in our research section.

Supply of civil legal assistance

We have used our data on applications for civil legal aid and grants of civil advice and assistance (including assistance by way of representation - ABWOR) to develop our understanding of how solicitors provide civil legal assistance and to identify areas that may pose concerns about access to justice. 

The latest data analysed in this project is for financial year 2007/08.  We will analyse information from 2008/09 as soon as this is available to give a more up-to-date picture.  We know from internal monitoring that there is an increase at the national level in the overall volume of civil legal aid applications and civil advice and assistance grants.  It is likely that this is, at least in part, a result of the economic downturn.  An updated picture at the local level will be available shortly following collation of the 2008/09 figures.

(Click here to read the research findings.)  This paper sets out the Board's response to these findings.

Initiatives

Read about the Civil Legal Assistance Office and PDSO, Public Defence Solicitors' Office.