About Us
The Legal Services Agency is a Crown entity set up by the Legal Services Act 2000. The Act's purpose is to promote access to justice by:
- providing a legal aid scheme so people who cannot afford legal services have access to them
- providing other means of legal assistance
- supporting community legal services by funding community law centres, education and research.
The Agency is responsible to the Minister of Justice and advises the Minister about the provision of legal services.
The Agency has to:
- administer schemes in a consistent, accountable, inexpensive, and efficient manner
- fund, provide and support community legal services for the public or any section of it
- investigate and advise on any matter relating to schemes or community legal services referred to it by the Minister
- carry out any other functions conferred on it by the Legal Services Act 2000 or any other Act.
