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Infographic: Legal aid by the numbers

Ministry of Justice: Legal aid statistics in England and Wales January to March 2015 The 'Legal Aid Statistics in England and Wales January to March 2015' from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) show that in the two years following the enactment of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO), the number of new matter starts has fallen year-on-year. Alistair MacDonald QC, chairman of the Bar Council, said: 'These figures show access to justice is not improving. Even the few who are still eligible for legal aid are not getting the help they deserve. Clearly more needs to be done to ensure that these people, who are among the most vulnerable in society, are aware that help is available. 'LASPO removed legal aid from hundreds of thousands of people per year in one fell swoop. The year after it was introduced, over 400,000 fewer people accessed legal help to assist with employment, housing, welfare, family or other legal problems compared with the year before. [The] figures show the situation has worsened.'