Quickly exit this site by pressing the Escape key Leave this site
This site is a beta, which means it's a work in progress and we'll be adding more to it over the next few weeks. Your feedback helps us make things better, so please let us know what you think.
The aim of Clare’s Law is to give you information regarding your current or ex-partner as to whether they have a history of violence and abusive offending that may pose a risk to you.
A disclosure can also be requested by a third party - a family member, friend, colleague or neighbour can apply for a disclosure to protect someone they believe to be at risk from their partner. The scheme, which launched in 2014, is named after Clare Wood, who was murdered by her former partner in Greater Manchester in 2009.
A Domestic Violence Disclosure can provide potentially life-saving information to help people to make a more informed decision about whether to continue the relationship they’re in.
There are two ways in which a disclosure can be made under the scheme:
You can make an application under the scheme in the following ways:
You will initially be asked to provide information about yourself and who you are making the application for.
If your application meets the scheme criteria, a face to face visit will be held with you by an officer and more information will be obtained.
Relevant research will then be conducted and referred to a local MARAC, where a decision of disclosure will be made. If at any stage, the police identify that an individual is at immediate risk of harm, they can bypass the MARAC referral and make an immediate disclosure.
Any disclosed information must be treated as confidential and applicants cannot share this information with anyone else.
When considering a disclosure, all relevant persons will be informed.
Read our Clare’s Law booklet for details on the process and other support and helplines.