About this event

Access to legal aid remains uneven across England and Wales. The LexisNexis Legal Aid Deserts 2026 report examines where legal need appears high relative to local legal aid provider capacity, highlighting the areas where access to legal support may be under greatest pressure.

Join a panel of leading voices from across the legal and access-to-justice sectors as they discuss the report’s findings, what they reveal about the state of legal aid provision, and the implications for people and communities seeking legal support.

Featuring:

  • Kirsty Brimelow KC, Chair of the Bar Council of England and Wales
  • Jasmine Basran, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Crisis
  • Rebecca Wilkinson, Chief Executive at LawWorks
Moderated by Josh Giddens, Director of Practical Guidance and Executive Sponsor for the Rule of Law at LexisNexis UK.

What you'll learn
  • How pressures on legal aid provision are being experienced across different areas of law and by the communities that rely on them.
  • Perspectives from across the legal and voluntary sectors on the wider implications for access to justice.
  • What the findings may mean for the future of legal aid policy, provision and the rule of law.

Meet the speakers

Kirsty Brimelow KC

Kirsty Brimelow KC is Chair of the Bar 2026. Kirsty practises in criminal, international and public law from Doughty Street Chambers, where she is on the management board as head of the criminal law team. Kirsty was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in 2011. Kirsty has the distinction of having led in both Civil and Criminal Courts of Appeal, the Supreme Court, the Privy Council, and the European Court of Human Rights.

Jasmine Basran

Jasmine is the Head of Policy and Campaigns at Crisis, a national charity dedicated to ending homelessness. Her background spans roles across the charity and consumer sectors, with expertise in influencing legislation, shaping public debate and improving support for people in vulnerable situations. Jasmine holds a double Masters degree in international public policy design and financing and is a Board Trustee at Single Homeless Project.

Rebecca Wilkinson

Rebecca is Chief Executive of LawWorks, leading its work to support and promote solicitor pro bono across England and Wales. She works with law firms, in-house legal teams and third sector organisations to develop programmes that help address unmet legal need. Rebecca previously led the Law Society's pro bono and public legal education work, and earlier in her career worked in the volunteering sector on national projects and training. She was called to the Bar in 2013 and holds degrees from the University of Oxford and the LSE.

Josh Giddens

Josh Giddens is a senior leader at LexisNexis, working at the intersection of law, technology and GenAI. He leads the UK Practical Guidance business, which is a multidisciplinary team of more than 200 legal and technology professionals, driving content innovation and transformation across legal content and services. As Executive Sponsor for the Rule of Law at LexisNexis, Josh is passionate about harnessing legal expertise and technology to widen access to justice, strengthen the rule of law and deliver meaningful social impact.

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