2013 CRIMINAL LEGAL AID EXPENDITURE DOWN BY £100 MILLION SINCE 2011

Written 9th May 2013 by Olliers Solicitors

Yesterday’s Volume and Values report released by the Ministry of Justice suggests that crime expenditure in the year to the end of March 2013 is more than £100 million less than it was in 2011.

Legal Aid Expenditure

2011 expenditure was £439 million for crime lower and £702 million for crime higher making a total of £1,141 million. Expenditure for the following year to 2012 shows a reduction of about £30 million, however, it is the figures for the year to end of March 2013 that suggest a much greater saving. It is necessary to extrapolate because the figures are not complete, however, the savings are dramatic.

Crime lower expenditure from April to November 2012 (8 months) was £263 million which can be extrapolated to £394 million. Crime higher for a period of 9 months from April to December 2012 was £481 million which can be extrapolated to £641 million. Therefore, total Crime spend is likely to be circa £1,035 million……more than £100 million less than two years ago.

The Ministry of Justice Consultation refers to a need to make savings of £220 million per year yet it may well be that half those savings have already been achieved.

View the full report here: http://www.crimeline.info/uploads/docs/vandvmarch2013.pdf

Matthew Claughton

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Olliers Solicitors

Olliers Solicitors is nationally recognised as an outstanding criminal defence law firm – partnering legal brilliance with unmatched client care.

We specialise in the defence of corporate and financial fraud crime, regulatory offences, serious crime, sexual offences, professional discipline and motoring offences. We have a formidable reputation for our pro-active approach to the investigative stage of a criminal case focusing on pre-charge engagement, discretion and nipping an investigation in the bud.

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