60 years of legal aid
Legal aid gives people who can least afford it access to justice which:
- provides a vital safety net
- makes our society a civilised one.
But it wasn’t always like this.
The turning point was 60 years ago with the Legal Aid and Advice Act 1949.
Legal Aid Day
This year we mark 60 years of legal aid.
Legal aid as we know it was born at 11.47am 30 July 1949.
See what´s happening in your area as we mark 60 years of legal aid on 30 July 2009.
A brief history of legal aid
Learn about key events in our timeline.
Read more about the story of legal aid.
How Legal Aid Helps
Each year legal aid helps people with housing, debt and family problems. It also funds legal advice at the police station.
Read more about how legal aid helps
Did you know
Legal aid helps over 2 million people each year.
“The Second World War put pressure on the pre-legal aid system due to the amount of solicitors and clerks who joined the forces. Those remaining behind found it difficult to deal with their extra caseloads and take on unpaid work. There was also growing numbers of broken marriages among the armed forces, increasing the pressure on the legal profession. ”