An increasing number of people in NSW are being shut out of the justice system because they are refused legal aid and are too poor to pay for a lawyer.
New Zealand has spent a billion dollars on legal aid since 2000, with the five most expensive criminal legal aid grants on cases either discharged, or where the defendant was found to be innocent.
Formalisation of applications for criminal legal aid and some random means-testing are likely to follow the taking over of the administration of criminal legal aid by the Legal Aid Board, according to its chief executive.
End legal aid wasted on millionaire suspects
Millionaire criminal suspects should not be entitled to legal aid to stop tens of millions of pounds being wasted, the former Director of Public Prosecutions said.
Analysis by King's College London focusing on three areas of civil law says knock-on costs could be £139m a year.
Kenneth Clarke delays £350m legal aid cuts
Kenneth Clarke unexpectedly announced a six-month delay to plans to slice £350m out of the annual legal aid budget.
Legal aid cuts: hitting the vulnerable
Ministry of Justice plans to replace law centres and advisers with telephone 'gateway' will decimate social welfare law, critics say.
The government's controversial changes to sentencing policy and legal aid have cleared the Commons, despite opposition from MPs of all parties.
Pity the justice secretary. Ken Clarke came to office in 2010 with some fine ideas about sending fewer people to prison and rehabilitating offenders.
There is an assumption in the memorandum of understanding between Ireland and the EU-ECB-IMF that the implementation of the recommendations of the Competition Authority and the Legal Costs Working Group will reduce legal costs.