Ungated Post | 13 Feb 2017

Forecasting criminal Legal Aid expenditure: 2017 update

The Law Society asked Oxford Economics to refresh its 2014 study to produce forecasts of criminal Legal Aid expenditure under alternative scenarios. A number of factors could affect Legal Aid expenditure over the next five years, including the volume of Legal Aid claims, the impact of policy changes, and the composition of the caseload. We produce a baseline forecast which assumes that crime and prosecution rates remain unchanged in future years, and compare this to alternative forecasts which allow crime and prosecution rates to evolve in line with recent trends. Under both alternative scenarios, expenditure falls—by almost £20 million under the first scenario and by £111 million in the second. We have also investigated what could happen to criminal Legal Aid expenditure if recent government reforms prove effective in reducing the time taken (and therefore costs) per case. Assuming a related cost saving of 2.5-5 percent, this could further reduce criminal Legal Aid expenditure in 2021/22 by between £15 million and £34 million, under the various scenarios.

Read the full report.

Oxford Economics’ team is expert at applying advanced economic tools that provide valuable insights into today’s most pressing business, financial, and policy issues.

To find out more about our capabilities, contact:

Americas
Diantha Redd
+1 (646) 503 3052
Email

Asia Pacific
Peter Suomi
+65 6850 0110
Email

EMEA
Aoife Pearson
+44 (0)203 910 8054
Email

Related Services

Post

The German Music Industry: Investments and Payments to Artists

Our study "The German Music Industry: Investments and Payments to Artists", on behalf of the German Music Industry Association (BVMI), examines whether and how artists have benefited from the increased revenues of German music labels in recent years.

Find Out More

Post

Thriving beyond boundaries: Human performance in a boundaryless world

In collaboration with Deloitte, Oxford Economics surveyed 1,000 global executives and board leaders in order to understand their perspectives on emerging human capital issues.

Find Out More

Post

Unlocking opportunities for small and disadvantaged businesses

On behalf of Amazon, Oxford Economics has assessed the impact of a scenario in which federal agencies can claim credit for purchases made with small and disadvantaged businesses across all online marketplaces.

Find Out More