Following a “critical analysis” of expenditure, the Ministry of Legal Affairs has been dealt a nine percent cut in funding.

Delivering the budget brief before the House of Assembly, Attorney General Mark Pettingill told MPs the 2014/15 budget for Legal Affairs was $24.9 million, down $2.5 million from last year — with furlough savings representing $800,000.

Ministry headquarters funding was cut by 22 percent, or $1.6 million, due to the transfer of Consumer Affairs, the elimination of vacant positions and a cut in spending by the Legal Aid Office.

Along with Consumer Affairs, the Government’s electronic monitoring initiative has been shifted over to the National Security Ministry.

Legal Aid’s use of external counsel accounts for the bulk of the $2.4 million reserved for professional services.

The Attorney General said Legal Aid has had to cut spending due to a range of factors, particularly “increased unemployment and an increase in criminal activity as well as serious crimes”, which have driven up costs.

The office’s budget for the coming fiscal year has been cut by 13 percent and a bid to increase the number of in-house counsel, to reduce outsourcing, is under consideration, Mr Pettingill said.

The Department of Public Prosecutions office has seen a “demanding” year of “back to back prosecutions” dealt with by Crown counsel but will still see a two percent budget cut, including a six percent cut to the witness care unit.

Witness care has been made a permanent fixture after running for six years as a temporary unit and has now assisted roughly 3,000 people, including 1,000 over the last year alone.

“During the fiscal year 2013/14, the Department of Public Prosecutions handled approximately 1,000 criminal cases in the Magistrates’ Court,” Mr Pettingill said.

“There were 4,000 traffic cases completed during the financial year. In the Supreme Court, there was a total number of 15 trials completed and 35 cases disposed of, and there were 35 indictments filed in 2013/14.

“In the Bermuda Court of Appeal, 15 appeals were carried over to the following year, and 15 appeals will be disposed of by the end of 2013/14.”

Questioned by the Opposition on travel costs, Mr Pettingill said the trip to Singapore to study its gaming regime had cost his Ministry $20,000 but maintained staff had been “travelling economy, doubling up and not overspending”.