Factcheck LedgerReceipts, not verdicts

UK public spending on law courts by year

Spending on courts, legal aid and related services.

Spending, 2025-26
£10.0 billion
HM Treasury, PESA

HM Treasury's Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) put public spending on law courts at £10.0 billion in 2025-26. In 2024-25 it was £9.3 billion, so the cash figure changed by +8.4%. The highest year in these tables is 2025-26, at £10.0 billion.

£10 billion£5.8 billion 2016-172025-26
Every value in the official series, 2016-17 to 2025-26.

Spending by year

YearCashChange on previous yearEdition
2025-26£10.0 billion+8.4%PESA 2026
2024-25£9.3 billion+3.4%PESA 2026
2023-24£8.9 billion+11.1%PESA 2026
2022-23£8.1 billion+2.7%PESA 2026
2021-22£7.8 billion+19.4%PESA 2026
2020-21£6.6 billion-4.7%PESA 2021
2019-20£6.9 billion+9.8%PESA 2021
2018-19£6.3 billion+3.3%PESA 2021
2017-18£6.1 billion+4.5%PESA 2021
2016-17£5.8 billionPESA 2021

PESA Table 5.2, line "3.3 Law courts". About these figures · CSV

Sources and receipts