{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/domestic-violence-crime-and-victims-act-2004-victims-code-of-practice-order-2020/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/domestic-violence-crime-and-victims-act-2004-victims-code-of-practice-order-2020/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2020/1314",
  "legislation_title": "The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 (Victims’ Code of Practice) Order 2020",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/domestic-violence-crime-and-victims-act-2004-victims-code-of-practice-order-2020",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "Criminal Law, England And Wales\nMade at 9.35 a.m. on 19th November 2020\nLaid before Parliament at 4.00 p.m. on 19th November 2020\nComing into force 1st April 2021\nThe Secretary of State for Justice, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 33(7) and (8) of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 (“the Act”), makes the following Order.\nIn accordance with sections 32 and 33 of the Act, the Secretary of State brought into operation on 16th November 2015 a code of practice as to the services to be provided to a victim of criminal conduct by persons appearing to him to have functions relating to victims of criminal conduct or any aspect of the criminal justice system. Under section 33(8) of the Act, the Secretary of State for Justice may from time to time revise a code previously brought into operation.\nIn accordance with sections 33(2) to (4) of the Act, in preparing a draft of the revised code, the Secretary of State for Justice consulted the Attorney General and the Secretary of State for the Home Department and after doing so published it and specified a period during which representations about the draft may be made to him.\nIn accordance with section 33(5) of the Act, in considering representations made to him about the draft, the Secretary of State for Justice consulted the Attorney General and Secretary of State for the Home Department and modified it in the light of them.\nIn accordance with section 33(9) of the Act, it appears to the Secretary of State for Justice that the proposed revisions would not result in a significant reduction in the quality or extent of the services to be provided under the code, or a significant restriction in the description of persons to whom services are to be provided under the code.\nIn accordance with section 33(6) of the Act, the Secretary of State laid the revised code of practice before Parliament on 18th November 2020.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "2004 c. 28, sections 32 and 33 were amended by S.I. 2007/2128."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1314/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T22:22:32.233769+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}