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The Ministry of Justice is to lead a review of the legal aid system, which provides government funding to pay for legal help for people who cannot afford a lawyer.
The objective of the review is to ensure the legal aid scheme is efficient, is of good quality, and promotes access to justice in a way that is sustainable and cost-effective.
However, the legal aid scheme is under pressure, and balancing access to justice against responsible government spending proves an ongoing challenge. Legal aid spending has increased significantly in recent years and is expected to continue to do so.
Legal aid providers are also feeling the pressure, with increasing workloads across the profession that have been exacerbated in regions with fewer providers.
As well as meeting with organisations and people with experience and interest in the legal aid scheme, the Ministry will release a public discussion document in the first half of this year.
