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Criminal Law & Justice vocabulary · Defence & Prosecution

Legal aid

Meaning in criminal law & justice, with examples

/ˌliːɡl ˈeɪd/nounCommon term

In criminal law & justice, legal aid means: Money or free legal services provided by the state to help people who cannot afford a lawyer, especially when they face criminal charges.

In Turkish: adli yardım, hukuki yardım

How it is used

Common in the UK and many other countries: 'apply for legal aid', 'be granted legal aid', 'legal aid lawyer', 'cuts to legal aid'. Access often depends on a 'means test' (checking income) and on how serious the case is.

Example sentences

  1. He was granted legal aid because he was unemployed.

  2. Fewer firms now take legal aid cases because the fees are low.

Common collocations

  • apply for legal aid
  • granted legal aid
  • legal aid lawyer
  • cuts to legal aid
  • criminal legal aid
  • public defenderIn the US, a lawyer paid by the government to defend people who are charged with a crime and cannot afford to hire their own lawyer.
  • defence lawyerA lawyer who represents a suspect or defendant, protects their rights and argues their side of the case against the prosecution.
  • defendantThe person who has been charged with a crime and is being tried in court; in a civil case, the person who is being sued.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Defence & Prosecution

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.