Worried about your own or somebody else’s new partner – Claire’s Law

If you’re worried that your current or former partner or your previous partner’s new partner has been abusive or violent in the past, Clare’s Law was created to formally give a person the right to find out. Clare’s Law, as also known as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS) allows:-

• A person to make an application to the police requesting information about a current or ex-partner, because they are worried they may have been abusive in the past and believe they may pose a risk to in the future.
• Request information from the police about the current or ex-partner of a close friend, neighbour or family member, because there is a concern that they might be at risk of domestic abuse in future or a risk to the family.

 ‘right to ask.’  A person has a right to ask the police no matter if the enquiry relates to a heterosexual or same-sex relationship, as long as that person is aged 16 or older. A person also has the right to ask about a partner regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, race, religion or other characteristics. ‘right to know’. This means that if police checks show that a current or ex-partner has a record of violent or abusive behaviour, and they believe a person may be at risk, they may decide to proactively share that information with the person who has made the request.