LEGAL aid provision in Dudley for civil cases has fallen by half over the last six years, research has shown.

Those unable to afford legal advice or representation when facing court action have been given a helping hand to navigate the justice system in their time of need thanks to legal aid which has existed since 1949.

However - the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) heralded cuts to the provision of legal aid across England and Wales – leaving some people with no choice but to attempt to represent themselves in court.

According to analysis of civil and criminal legal aid data by the BBC’s Shared Data Unit in Birmingham – Dudley has lost more than half of its legal aid providers since 2011-12.

There were 12 providers of legal aid for civil matters in 2011-12 – with receipts showing £3,440,340 was spent on providing aid in 2,536 cases.

But fast forward to 2017-18 and there are just six providers in the borough offering legal assistance in civil cases, with figures showing a total of £2,987,670 was spent on 697 cases.

Analysis by the BBC also shows that Dudley has just one provider of legal aid for housing which could risk a conflict of interest if the same provider also represents the local authority.

Labour MP Richard Burgon, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, said the figures “highlight the grim reality of a justice system in crisis” and he added: “These legal aid cuts have deliberately weakened people’s ability to challenge injustices and enforce their rights.

“Cuts to publicly-funded legal support have left people unable to defend themselves against rogue landlords, tackle exploitation at work or the flawed benefits decisions that left them needing to use a food bank.

“It is simply unacceptable that people are increasingly having to represent themselves in court when faced with life-changing decisions, for example, over access to their children. “Many will be shocked to find out that this even extends to a growing number of people defending criminal charges without a lawyer. Just as we don’t expect people with serious health problems to treat themselves without a doctor, we shouldn't leave people with legal issues to face those alone.”

In Dudley, however, it is a different story regarding criminal cases.

In 2011-12 there were four active providers of Legal Aid in the borough where £1,774,005 was spent providing assistance in 2,450 criminal cases.

But in 2017-18 there were five providers offering Legal Aid for criminal matters and a total of £2,688,136 was spent on 2,520 cases – an increase of 70 cases (costing £914,131).

The Government is reportedly undertaking a review of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 which is expected to be published by the end of the year.