Legal Aid Expenditure Time Series (1949–2025)

This interactive dashboard traces the evolution of legal aid expenditure over 75 years (1949–2025), from the scheme's creation under the Legal Aid and Advice Act 1949 through successive expansions and the sharp contraction following LASPO. 

Use the tabs to explore spending by category, as a share of government and Ministry of Justice budgets, in real per capita terms, and through a decomposition of expenditure growth into price, quantity, and eligibility effects.