The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 (Commencement No. 6) Regulations 2025
The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 (Commencement No. 6) Regulations 2025 bring into force section 17 of the 2024 Act.
This section invalidates any agreement preventing victims from disclosing crime-related information to specified bodies like law enforcement and victim support services.
The regulations establish a two-stage commencement: June 1st, 2025 for the purpose of making further regulations, and October 1st, 2025 for all other purposes.
The regulations also note prior commencement of other sections of the 2024 Act.
Arguments For
Intended benefit: The timely implementation of Section 17 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 ensures victims' rights to disclose information are protected, aiding investigations and supporting victim services.
Legal/historical basis: The Regulations are made under the powers granted by the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, section 81(2) and (5), providing a clear legal foundation for the commencement of Section 17.
Implementation methods: The phased approach (June 1st for regulation-making, October 1st for other purposes) allows for a managed rollout, mitigating potential disruption and ensuring appropriate infrastructure is in place.
Arguments Against
Potential impacts: The immediate impact on agreements attempting to restrict victims' disclosures could lead to legal challenges and potential adjustments to pre-existing contracts.
Implementation challenges: Ensuring all relevant bodies are aware of the changes and have updated their practices to comply with the new regulation may take time and resources.
Unintended effects: There could be unintended consequences if the regulation interacts unexpectedly with existing legislation or legal precedents, requiring subsequent clarification or amendments.
- Citation and extent (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 (Commencement No. 6) Regulations 2025. (2) These Regulations extend to England and Wales.
This section establishes the official title of the regulations as the 'Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 (Commencement No. 6) Regulations 2025' and confirms their application to England and Wales.
- Commencement of section 17 Section 17 (disclosures by victims that cannot be precluded by agreement) of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 comes into force on— (a) 1st June 2025 for the purpose of making regulations, and (b) 1st October 2025 for all other purposes.
This section specifies the commencement dates for Section 17 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024.
The June 1st date applies to the creation of any subsequent regulations, while the October 1st date marks the effective date for all other aspects of Section 17.
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State Alex Davies-Jones Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Ministry of Justice 19th May 2025
This section contains the signature and authorization details confirming the regulations' official adoption by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice.
Explanatory Note (This note is not part of the Regulations) These Regulations bring into force section 17 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 (c. 21) (“the 2024 Act”) on 1st June 2025 for the purpose of making regulations and on 1st October 2025 for all other purposes. These are the sixth commencement Regulations made under the 2024 Act. Section 17 of the 2024 Act provides that a provision in an agreement is void in so far as it purports to preclude the making of a disclosure of information by a victim of crime, or a person who reasonably believes they are a victim of crime, to certain specified bodies (including those with law enforcement functions, qualified lawyers and individuals who provide a service to support victims) for certain specified purposes related to the criminal conduct. A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.
The explanatory note summarizes the regulations' purpose: to implement Section 17 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, which prevents agreements from obstructing victims' information disclosures to relevant parties.
It outlines the phased commencement and confirms that a full impact assessment wasn't deemed necessary due to the anticipated lack of significant impact on various sectors.
NOTE AS TO EARLIER COMMENCEMENT Regulations (This note is not part of the Regulations) The following provisions of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 have been brought into force by commencement Regulations made before the date of these Regulations. [Table detailing previously commenced sections of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024]
This note lists sections of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 that had been enacted prior to these regulations, providing context and demonstrating the phased implementation of the 2024 Act.