Bach, a former justice minister, recently criticised his own party’s offering during this year’s general election campaign. During the Labour party conference, he told a fringe meeting that he had been ‘disappointed’ by its manifesto stance on legal aid. ‘For me it was not enough and did not deal with the seriousness of the situation facing advice and social welfare law,’ he said. Adding: ‘Legal aid never really counted enough in Labour leadership circles. This may well have changed.’

The review will be carried out over the next few months. A policy paper is expected next year.