Broudie Jackson Canter prepares to launch class action against government over data breach
A prominent Liverpool law firm is preparing to file a class action against the government following a cyber attack on the Legal Aid Agency (LAA), which exposed sensitive data of legal aid applicants.
Broudie Jackson Canter has announced that it is laying the groundwork for a group litigation order to secure compensation for individuals whose personal information was breached in the attack. The law firm has stated on its website that it will act on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis.
The data breach occurred after the LAA shut down its systems in May 2025, following a cyber attack. The agency confirmed that the breach could involve data from as far back as 2007, including information about legal aid applicants and their partners. The exposed data includes contact details, dates of birth, national insurance numbers, criminal history, employment status, and financial details.
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Other law firms that are reportedly exploring claims on behalf of those affected include Express Solicitors, KP Law, and HNK Solicitors. However, the LAA has not yet confirmed the number of individuals whose data was compromised.
During a session with the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee in October 2025, LAA Deputy Chief Executive Jane Harbottle explained that the exact number of individuals affected was difficult to determine. She explained that the LAA operates 48 different systems and 120 components, and data is stored across various pockets. “The data appears as a number of transactions, so there’s no whole [legal aid file] that could have been extracted,” Harbottle said. “It appears in a series of different transactions in different buckets in different parts of the system.”
The Law Society has also called for compensation for solicitors affected by the disruption caused by the cyber attack. The LAA’s shutdown impacted solicitors’ ability to log work and receive payment. However, the Ministry of Justice has ruled out providing separate compensation to solicitors, instead directing them to use the LAA’s complaints procedure to resolve the issue.
The legal community has voiced frustration over the lack of a clear compensation route for those whose data was compromised, while Broudie Jackson Canter’s planned class action aims to address the financial and emotional impact on individuals who may have been affected by the breach.