The government should increase tax on alcohol to fund legal aid, in recognition of the extent to which criminal behaviour results from alcohol abuse, the Law Society has suggested.

In a report to be published today reflecting the findings of the Society’s Access to Justice Review, which began in 2009, Chancery Lane said ‘fresh thinking’ about sustainable legal aid had become ‘a task of great urgency’ in the face of government cuts.

The Society said that alcohol abuse played a significant part in criminal behaviour. It suggested that tax on alcohol should be increased, with the money going to the legal aid fund and other criminal justice agencies.

The Law Society also suggested that the legal aid fund could be ‘topped up’ through a levy on the financial services industry, to meet the cost of City fraud cases.

Savings could be made by addressing inefficiencies and poor decision-making in the justice system and across government, the report suggested, as well as by reducing legal aid bureaucracy and giving practitioners more autonomy to deliver services and offer innovative means of delivery.

The Law Society also called for a review of civil procedure, particularly in respect of low-value cases. In its response to Lord Justice Jackson’s review of civil costs, Chancery Lane called for stronger case management and greater resources to be devoted to the family justice system.

Law Society president Linda Lee said: ‘The government’s recent comprehensive spending review saw expenditure on legal aid reduced by 17% over the next four years – taking a total of at least £350m out of the system.

‘We will soon see how the government plans to achieve that, but we have grave concerns about the likely effect.

‘The Society believes the government should not take any further steps to reduce financial eligibility for legal aid, nor to remove legal aid from categories of cases.’

Lee said government has a fundamental duty to ensure that all citizens can secure access to justice.