Justice short changed

Over the period 2009/10 to 2022/23, funding for justice was cut to such an extent that it is now 30.4% below where it would have been if it had kept pace with UK inflation, population growth and the economy. Even if economic growth is not taken into account, public funding for justice has declined by 22.4% in real per person terms over that period.

The consequences of insufficient resources are plain to see with record backlogs in all jurisdictions of the court, a crumbling court estate and unacceptably long waiting times for cases to be heard:

  • the average time for private family law cases to reach a final order is 46 weeks – well above the statutory target of 26 weeks
  • the most recent published statistics are that the backlog for Crown Court cases is at an extreme high of more than 67,000
  • barristers and solicitors are leaving publicly funded criminal work as fees have stagnated against the increased cost of living
  • legal aid spending has been cut more than any other constituent part of the justice system – by 39.5% in real per person terms

We believe funding for the justice system should be in line with the demands made of it.

Spending review

In July 2024 the Chancellor published Fixing the foundations setting out the outcome of a rapid audit of public spending. The Chancellor also announced she would present a Budget on 30 October and launch a multi-year Spending Review to conclude in Spring 2025.

In our submission to the multi-year Spending Review we set out five priorities:

  1. Restoring adequate resources to the justice system to promote growth and protect the public
  2. Recruiting and retaining criminal barristers to ensure the long-term sustainability of the criminal justice system
  3. Rebuilding and recognising the courts as a vital public service – like schools and hospitals – to help deliver swift effective justice  
  4. Widening access to legal support to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG)
  5. Widening legal aid eligibility and making greater provision for early legal advice to promote access to justice and save costs to the Treasury
Read our Spending review submission: fixing the foundations of the justice system

Our reports and evidence

Our call for funding is rooted in strong evidence, including:

Justice short changed

September 2024

Match-funded pupillages

September 2024

Our proposal for the government to match-fund the cost of 100 additional criminal pupillages (barrister traineeships) a year

The value of justice for all 

August 2024

Manifesto for justice 

June 2024

International Bar Association report on the social and economic impact of the legal profession

June 2024

A lens on justice: the move to remote justice

May 2024

Bar Council submission to the review of civil legal aid

February 2024