The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (Victim Information Requests: Code of Practice) Regulations 2025
These Regulations officially bring into force on January 12th, 2026, the 'Victim Information Requests: Code of Practice,' which provides guidance for authorized persons on their statutory duties for requesting relevant victim information during crime investigations, as established by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and amended by the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, extending the framework to England and Wales generally, and incorporating service police matters across the UK.
Arguments For
The regulations legally implement the necessary secondary framework (Code of Practice) required by the primary legislation (Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, as amended by the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024) to govern how authorized persons request victim information for crime investigation purposes.
By specifying a commencement date of 12th January 2026, the regulations provide a clear timeline for law enforcement and related bodies to prepare for and comply with the new statutory duties surrounding victim information requests, enhancing investigative clarity.
The extension of coverage to Scotland and Northern Ireland (where section 44F applies) ensures that the unified framework for victim information requests by service police operates consistently across the entire UK where relevant, promoting uniform standards for dealing with service personnel matters.
Arguments Against
The instrument itself does not contain the substantive Code of Practice, requiring external reference (online or by post) to understand the practical application and implications of the duties, which may complicate immediate operational understanding.
The reliance on the codes being laid before Parliament and published provides only a short window (December 1st, 2025, issuance for January 12th, 2026, commencement) for affected parties to fully assimilate the complex procedural guidance outlined in sections 44A–44C and 44F.
The statement that a full impact assessment was not produced because no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary, or public sectors is foreseen warrants scrutiny, particularly regarding the potential administrative burden on third parties who hold and are asked to release sensitive victim information.
The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 44D(7) (including as applied by section 44F(1)) of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (“the Act”)1.
In accordance with section 44D(5) (including as applied by section 44F(1)) of the Act, the Secretary of State in preparing the code of practice has consulted with the persons specified in that section.
In accordance with section 44D(6) (including as applied by section 44F(1)) of the Act, after preparing the code of practice, the Secretary of State laid it before Parliament and published it.
The Secretary of State created these Regulations using powers given by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.
This power is specified in section 44D(7), which also applies in situations covered by section 44F(1).
Before creating the associated code of practice, the Secretary of State consulted with all the individuals legally required to be consulted under section 44D(5) (including the extensions in section 44F(1)).
Following the preparation of the code, the Secretary of State presented it to Parliament and made it public, as required by section 44D(6) (including extensions in section 44F(1)).
- Citation, commencement and extent
(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (Victim Information Requests: Code of Practice) Regulations 2025.
(2) These Regulations come into force on 12th January 2026.
(3) These Regulations extend to England and Wales, subject as follows.
(4) Insofar as these Regulations relate to the persons specified in section 44F(2) (application of Chapter 3A to service police etc) of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, these Regulations extend to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The first section defines the formal title of these legal rules, which is the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (Victim Information Requests: Code of Practice) Regulations 2025.
These Regulations officially become active law on January 12th, 2026.
Generally, the rules apply across England and Wales.
However, an exception exists for matters concerning service police.
When the Regulations cover persons specified under section 44F(2) of the 2022 Act (relating to service police), the rules apply across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
- Code of Practice
The code of practice entitled “Victim Information Requests: Code of Practice”2 laid before Parliament and published on 1st December 2025 comes into force on 12th January 2026.
This provision specifies that the foundational document, named the “Victim Information Requests: Code of Practice,” which was formally presented to Parliament and published on December 1st, 2025, will become effective on January 12th, 2026, aligning with the commencement of these Regulations.