Access to Justice, Legal Aid, and the State of the Estate
Mon 21 Jul
|London
The briefing and minutes for this meeting are available in the resources tab. A short summary can be found below.
Time & Location
21 Jul 2025, 11:00 – 13:00
London, Houses of Parliament, Parliament Sq, London SW1A 0PW, UK
About the Event
The event highlighted the severe and interconnected challenges affecting access to justice in the UK, centred on the impact of the LAA data breach and the escalating criminal courts backlog.
Speakers emphasised that the collapse of CCMS has directly limited the ability of practitioners to support the most vulnerable, undermining provider viability, accelerating staff attrition, and weakening the already fragile network delivering essential protective work, while the complexity of the scheme, and ongoing operational pressures continue to reinforce significant unmet legal need.
Speakers also focused on the unprecedented backlogs: trials listed up to 2029; over a quarter of capacity unused; insufficient sitting days; deteriorating court estate; understaffing; and technological failures. The session concluded that the LAA cyber security breach and the backlogs are inflicting serious harm on victims, witnesses, and defendants and eroding confidence in the justice system.
