The Bar Council has published its October access-to-justice report, based on its 2025 profession survey. It says that 22% of respondents considered public access to justice acceptable.
Of 2,477 written responses, 62% cited delays, 55% legal-aid or funding issues, 34% costs and 24% infrastructure. The accompanying release describes retention pressure in criminal practice.
Why it matters
This is a workforce-capacity and retention signal for legal aid and criminal practice. The report was published on 5 October 2026, but the underlying survey evidence is from 2025; it does not establish a quantified current hiring trend.