Almost one in four people in England and Wales live in a legal aid desert
A new report reveals that nearly one-quarter of the population in England and Wales resides in 'legal aid deserts,' where access to legal representation is severely limited. The study identifies significant gaps in housing, family, crime, immigration, and employment law services.
Why it matters
The lack of legal aid in these regions prevents vulnerable populations from accessing justice, exacerbating social inequality and leaving individuals without recourse in critical legal disputes.
The Legal Aid Deserts report uses the latest available public data to compare indicators of legal need with legal aid provider capacity. The analysis found that 91 local authorities are classed as legal aid deserts in at least one of the five areas analysed: housing, family, crime, immigration and employment. Together, these authorities are home to 14.49 million people, or 23.4% of the population of England and Wales.
37 local authorities, with a combined population of 5.38 million, fall into the lowest-scoring category in two or more areas. Eight local authorities are classed as legal deserts in four or more areas: Babergh, Breckland, Derbyshire Dales, East Cambridgeshire, East Devon, Rutland, South Norfolk and West Berkshire.
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