Legal Aid Agency data breach

The government’s Legal Aid Agency (LAA), an executive government agency sponsored by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) that provides civil and criminal legal aid and advice in England and Wales to help people deal with legal problems, has suffered a data breach in April 2025. During the cyber-attack, a significant amount of private data has been hacked from Legal Aid’s online system.

This data includes details of domestic abuse victims and those who have applied for legal aid through their digital service since 2010. According to the BBC, more than two million pieces of information were taken.

Due to the nature of the data that has been breached, the consequences of this could be huge and incredibly distressing for anyone affected. It could lead to identity theft, fraud, emotional stress and even put domestic abuse victims at risk. If you have been affected by the Legal Aid Agency data breach, you could be entitled to compensation.

The hack occurred in April and was originally thought only to affect the services legal aid providers use to log their work and receive payment from the Government. It was later discovered the attack was much more extensive than originally thought and that hackers had accessed a large amount of information relating to legal aid applicants.

The Legal Aid Agency and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) released a joint statement on the government website stating they had become aware of a cyber-attack and explaining the details of what data may have been taken. They urged all members of the public who have applied for legal aid since 2010 to take steps to safeguard themselves and remain alert for any suspicious activity, such as unknown messages and phone calls.

Access to the system has been shut down since the breach was discovered, and an investigation has been launched.

The breach apparently covers all areas of the legal aid system, including domestic abuse victims, those in family cases and others facing criminal prosecution. The data that was downloaded dates back to 2010, so anyone who has applied for legal aid in that time period could be affected. This could be hundreds of thousands of individuals.

The agency’s chief executive, Jane Harbottle, apologised to those affected, stating she knew the news would “be shocking and upsetting for people”. Currently, there has been no confirmation of whether or not those affected have been notified or when they will be notified. The Law Society said that the MoJ needed to “get a grip of the situation immediately”, and notify all those affected individually.

The Legal Aid Agency has launched a dedicated helpline “for members of the public who are concerned they may have been affected by the Legal Aid Agency data breach”.

It was also thought that legal aid providers’ (e.g. law firms) financial details may have been exposed, including bank account numbers and sort codes. They have been told to stay vigilant for any unusual activity on their accounts.

Sarah Sackman, the Ministry of Justice minister with responsibility for the administration of the legal aid regime, stated that the hack was made possible due to the weaknesses in the Legal Aid Agency’s tech set-up and fragile IT systems that have faced years of neglect.

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), government agencies and public and private bodies must legally keep all data they store safe and secure, implementing effective security measures to prevent breaches. It is clear that this was not the case with the Legal Aid Agency, who had neglected their IT security for many years, putting the data of hundreds of thousands of people at risk.

If you have been affected by the Legal Aid Agency’s data breach, you could be entitled to compensation. UK GDPR and data protection regulations allow those who have been the victim of a data breach to claim compensation. The compensation is designed to help those who have been negatively impacted by a data breach and who may have suffered emotional distress, financial losses or reputational damage.

If you want to pursue a claim against Legal Aid Agency, you should consult a specialist data breach solicitor who can offer expert advice and support you in making the claim. This will allow you the best chance of success.

At HNK Solicitors, we have a team of specialist data breach solicitors who are experienced in helping clients gain compensation after they have suffered a data breach. Read our case studies to find out more about some of the recent cases we have handled and successfully secured compensation for our clients.