Here’s how many defendants in criminal cases required legal aid last year

Legal Aid SA averaged 331 000 new criminal cases a year over the past five years. South Africans are enlisting the services of legal aid for criminal and civil cases at a rate of over 1 000 per day. Legal Aid SA’s 2025-26 budget to assist those unable to afford their legal battles sat at R2.8 billion, of which 99% was spent over the financial year. Compensation for 2 530 staff members accounted for 82% of its expenditure, with 12% and 2% spent on operating and capital expenditure, respectively. Legal Aid SA presented its 2025-26 integrated annual report to the justice and constitutional development portfolio committee on Wednesday. The report showed that Legal Aid SA were doing more with less, taking on more cases despite budget cuts, while drastically reducing irregular expenditure. Over 600 000 assisted with legal aid Legal Aid’s mission is to provide access to justice by providing legal services for poor South Africans. The body’s annual report stated that 344 110 people facing criminal charges were represented, as well as a further 45 279 in civil matters. A further 914 claimants were assisted with land-related cases, and 226 404 were given legal advice, bringing the annual total of South Africans assisted to 616 707. New matters rose to 487 552 in 2021-22, with finalised criminal and civil matters totalling 333 402 and 46 620, respectively. Legal Aid’s staff complement comprised 1 766 legal practitioners, 196 paralegals and 586 support staff. The report confirmed Legal Aid had achieved a clean audit for the last five years but still amassed irregular expenditure of R594 000, although that had been cut from R14.2 million in 2022-23. Budget cuts Legal Aid’s budget had been cut by R1.1 billion since 2021. This resulted in the cancellation of digital improvement projects, no relief capacity for absentee or unavailable staff, and depleted reserves, leaving Legal Aid with no buffer for budget shortfalls. Additional impacts were reduced recruitment and greater strain on existing staff, with staff turnover recorded at 3.92%. “Additional pressure is placed on current internal capacity to carry higher caseloads, which creates material service-delivery risk,” the report stated. An alternative funding model has been approved for the new financial year that Legal Aid believe will support “targeted workforce planning” and the management of staff expenditure. “Legal Aid SA will continue to align its service delivery targets with available resources, ensuring that commitments to clients and constitutional obligations are met without exceeding institutional capacity,” the presentation concluded.