Corporate report

Summary of the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) review

Published 30 April 2025

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) completed a review of the Legal Aid Agency (LAA). The review was part of the government’s Public Bodies Review Programme. It was started in August 2024 and concluded in November 2024. 

Background to LAA

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is an Executive Agency, sponsored by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and was established in April 2013. As an Executive Agency, LAA is administratively distinct from the MoJ but remains legally part of it. 

The LAA’s role is to commission and administer legal aid services in England and Wales, taking into account the relevant provisions of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act 2012. It must also follow policies and strategies determined by the MoJ. The LAA’s mission is to work with providers of the legal services to ensure fair, prompt and effective access to civil and criminal legal aid and advice in England and Wales. The LAA works across the whole of the justice system to ensure services meet the needs of everyone who uses them, including the most vulnerable in society.  LAA’s strategic aims are:

• Delivering access to justice through legal aid services that meet the needs of its users;
• Modernise its services, delivering value for money for taxpayers; and
• Become a truly diverse and inclusive employer of choice.

Purpose of the review 

The review, conducted in line with Cabinet Office Public Bodies Review Guidance was carried out to provide assurance that: 

• LAA’s functions remain useful and necessary
• LAA is effective, efficient and aligned to government priorities
• LAA is well governed and properly accountable for what it does 

Conclusion and recommendations 

A stage 1 review concluded that the LAA and the MOJ are compliant with the majority of Cabinet Office good practice indicators for departments and public bodies. Areas of strong compliance with good practice indicators include outcome for citizens, financial management and transparency.

Two areas for improvement have been identified. These relate to:

• sharing the annual appraisals of the Non-Executive Directors with the MOJ
• the MoJ issuing an annual Chair’s Letter to the LAA Chair setting out priorities and objectives for the organisation to deliver.

The review team has made proportionate recommendations to address the areas where a need for improvement has been identified.

As well as reviewing organisational purpose and identifying areas for improvement, the stage 1 review considered whether the LAA and the MOJ would benefit from wider exploration of the areas where improvement is needed. At this stage, the Review Team is satisfied that a further in-depth review is not required and has made the following recommendations: 

Recommendation 1:  Implement GIAA legacy technology report actions

The Review Team notes that funding to stabilise LAA’s legacy technology has been made available. It also acknowledges that many of the recommendations made within the GIAA’s recent legacy technology report have been actioned. It is recommended that the outstanding action to produce a service agreement with LAA Digital setting out roles and responsibilities of each party in managing the legacy of technology risks is implemented as soon as possible and the Partnership Team within MoJ is notified upon completion.

Recommendation 2: Sharing appraisals of Non-Executive Directors with the department

The Review Team notes that the LAA’s Chair has recently undertaken appraisals of the Non-Executive Directors. It has recently become a requirement for these appraisals to be shared with the sponsoring department in line with Effective Board Guidance. The Review Team therefore recommends that records of future appraisals are shared with the MoJ in a timely manner.

Recommendation 3: Regular and formal accountability meetings between MoJ and LAA attended by both CEO and Senior Sponsor

At the start of the review, holding to account meetings between the LAA and the MoJ Public Bodies Partnership Team were not in place. However, since then, the first assurance meeting took place in February 2025 to discuss the LAA’s progress against objectives, risk and financial performance. Both the MoJ’s Partnership Team and the LAA have advised that they have plans in place to hold these meetings biannually in line with the Public Body Sponsorship Code of Good Practice. The Partnership Team should continue to monitor the evolution of these meetings, taking into consideration that the LAA is already subject to assurance measures as part of the wider departmental governance structure. The Review Team recommends that both the Partnership Team and the LAA ensure that the meetings add best value for the Senior Sponsor, department, and organisation.

Recommendation 4: Publication of an FoI disclosure log

The LAA has a clear published policy around how the public can make a Freedom of Information (FoI) request. The FoI Act requires authorities to have a form of publication scheme. The LAA should mirror processes in place with similar Executive Agencies such as the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and the Office of the Public Guardian and provide statistical data on FoI’s received within their yearly Annual Report and Accounts.

Recommendation 5: Issue a Chair’s Letter to the LAA Chair

Although the LAA Board Chair has been in post since July 2023, a Chair’s Letter has not been issued by the MoJ. The Review Team notes that it is best practice for the department to send a Chair’s Letter each year that outlines the department’s priorities and expectations. The Review Team also notes that the MoJ’s Public Bodies Centre of Expertise intend to issue a letter by early 2026. The Review Team recommend that a letter is issued by this date, and that future Chair’s Letters are incorporated into regular partnership and assurance work with the LAA.