The figures were revealed as the justice minister, Naomi Long, visited the LSA’s headquarters in Belfast to mark its 10th anniversary.

“I value the role legal aid plays in supporting the most vulnerable in our society at some of the most difficult times in their lives,” Mrs Long said.

“People often encounter the justice system at times of crisis and it is a critical feature in any society that everyone can access effective and experienced legal representation.

“With this in mind, my Department continues to make significant investment to ensure those most in need are able to access legal representation through legal aid.”

The LSA paid out £116.8m on legal aid cases in 2024/25. An additional £3.2m was paid in respect of legacy inquests, bringing total expenditure by the LSA on legal aid cases in 2024/25 to £120m.

Payment delays have reduced, with unassessed bills of £5.7m on 31 March 2025, a 58 per cent reduction from £13.6m on the same date in 2024.

Unassessed bills have further reduced by 32 per cent to £3.9m since the end of March 2025.

Mrs Long said: “It is a pleasure to be back at the LSA, to mark the 10th anniversary of the creation of the agency.

“The LSA plays a crucial role in the delivery of justice in Northern Ireland and I want to pay tribute to everyone at the agency for their hard work, particularly the ongoing efforts to reduce the length of time for legal aid payments.

“I know it has been a challenging period. The increased spend on legal aid demonstrates not only an increase in demand but it also reflects the contribution the agency makes to the civil and criminal justice systems.”