The inquiry that quashed David Eastman's conviction for the murder of Assistant Commissioner Colin Winchester cost the Legal Aid Commission $2.4 million over the pastfinancial year.
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The full amount was funded by the ACT Government, but Legal Aid ACT president Michael Peedom has again warned of the commission's precarious financial position.
The commission's financial position marginally improved in the past financial year, according to the 2013-14 annual report.
Despite financial pressures, the commission reported a better operating deficit than previous years.
The deficit improved to $90,000, up from $758,000 in 2012-13.
The report attributes the boost to improved income streams, saving and efficiency measures, and an increase in in-house legal work.
But total expenditure of $14.710 million was $2.203 million, or 17.61 per cent, above that budgeted.
That figure is expected to drop by $2.65 million in 2014-15 due to the completion of the Eastman Inquiry.
The report said demand for services had continued to grow over the year, with information and referrals have increasing by 28 per cent compared to the same period the year before.
Advice, minor assistance and advocacy services also jumped by 20 per cent, compared with the same period last year.
The report expected the number of services to stay steady for the next financial year.
Mr Peedom said the commission kept pace with demand to some extent.
"[But] ultimately the pressures of limited resourcing must affect the numbers of people who can be assisted, and this remains a serious concern for the board of commissioners," he wrote.
Mr Peedom said the federal government's decision to cancel a two-year agreement that funded front-line services in the family law area had been unfortunate.
"The loss of the second year of funding is significant blow to the Commissions' operating plans.
"This event, coupled with a major dip in the allocation of funding from the Law Society's Statutory Interest Account of some $415,000 has meant that the Commission is facing unprecedented financial pressure and no doubt will mean that there will be less grants of assistance in the forthcoming year.
"This is of major concern as the growth in the ACT population and the ongoing demand for assistance would indicate that we should be in a growth rather than a contraction phase."
