Legal aid
Legal aid was originally established by the Legal Aid and Advice Act 1949. In 2009, legal aid in England and Wales cost the taxpayer £2bn a year – a higher per capita spend than anywhere else in the world – and was available to around 29% of adults. However, availability and level of provision of legal aid have greatly decreased since 2012 as a result of austerity measures in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.