{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/victims-and-prisoners-act-2024/section-17",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/victims-and-prisoners-act-2024/section-17.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2024/21",
  "legislation_title": "Victims and Prisoners Act 2024",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/victims-and-prisoners-act-2024",
  "path": "section/17",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "17",
  "heading": "Disclosures by victims that cannot be precluded by agreement",
  "text": "(1) A provision in an agreement is void in so far as it purports to preclude the making of a disclosure falling within subsection (2).\n(2) A disclosure falls within this subsection if it is a disclosure of information that is made by a victim or a person who reasonably believes they are a victim—\n(a) to any person who has law enforcement functions, for the purpose of those functions being exercised in relation to relevant conduct;\n(b) to a qualified lawyer, for the purpose of seeking legal advice about relevant conduct;\n(c) to any individual who is entitled to practise a regulated profession, for the purpose of obtaining professional support in relation to relevant conduct;\n(d) to any individual who provides a service to support victims, for the purpose of obtaining support from that service in relation to relevant conduct;\n(e) to a regulator of a regulated profession for the purpose of co-operating with the regulator in relation to relevant conduct;\n(ea) to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, for the purpose of a claim for compensation in relation to relevant conduct under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme or the Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation Scheme;\n(eb) to a court or tribunal, for the purpose of issuing or pursuing any proceedings in relation to a decision of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority made in connection with a claim mentioned in paragraph (ea);\n(f) to a person who is authorised to receive information on behalf of a person mentioned in paragraph (a), (b), (c), (d) , (e) or (ea), or on behalf of a court or tribunal mentioned in paragraph (eb), for the purpose mentioned in the paragraph in question;\n(g) to a child, parent or partner of the person making the disclosure, for the purpose of obtaining support in relation to relevant conduct.\n(3) But a provision in an agreement is not void by virtue of subsection (1) so far as it purports to preclude a disclosure made for the primary purpose of releasing the information into the public domain.\n(4) The Secretary of State may by regulations amend this section—\n(a) to add, remove or modify a description of disclosure in relation to which subsection (1) applies (“a permitted disclosure”);\n(b) to extend the application of subsection (1) to a provision in an agreement which purports to impose an obligation or liability in connection with a permitted disclosure.\n(5) But regulations under subsection (4)(a) must not make any provision which would apply subsection (1) in relation to a disclosure—\n(a) made by a person other than a victim or a person who reasonably believes they are a victim, or\n(b) that does not relate to relevant conduct.\n(6) In this section—\n“Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme” means—\n(a)the schemes established by arrangements made under section 1 of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Act 1995, or\n(b)arrangements made by the Secretary of State for compensation for criminal injuries in operation before the commencement of those schemes;\n“entitled to practise”, in relation to a regulated profession, is to be read in accordance with section 19(2) of the Professional Qualifications Act 2022;\n“law enforcement functions” means functions for the purposes of the investigation or prosecution of criminal offences or the execution of criminal penalties;\n“partner”: a person is a “partner” of another person if they are married to each other, in a civil partnership with each other or in an intimate personal relationship with each other which is of significant duration;\n“qualified lawyer” means a person who is an authorised person in relation to a reserved legal activity for the purposes of the Legal Services Act 2007 or a person who is a registered foreign lawyer;\n“registered foreign lawyer” means a person who is registered with the Law Society under section 89 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990;\n“regulated profession” and “regulator” have the same meanings as in the Professional Qualifications Act 2022 (see section 19 of that Act);\n“relevant conduct” means conduct by virtue of which the person making the disclosure is or reasonably believes they are a victim (see section 1(1) and (2) of this Act);\n“Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation Scheme” means the scheme established by arrangements made under section 47 of the Crime and Security Act 2010.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 17(2)(ea)(eb) inserted (12.12.2025) by The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 (Permitted Disclosures) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1303), regs. 1(2), 2(2)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 17(2)(f) substituted (12.12.2025) by The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 (Permitted Disclosures) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1303), regs. 1(2), 2(2)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 17(6) inserted (12.12.2025) by The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 (Permitted Disclosures) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1303), regs. 1(2), 2(3)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 17(6) inserted (12.12.2025) by The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 (Permitted Disclosures) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1303), regs. 1(2), 2(3)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 17(6) inserted (12.12.2025) by The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 (Permitted Disclosures) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1303), regs. 1(2), 2(3)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 17(6) inserted (12.12.2025) by The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 (Permitted Disclosures) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1303), regs. 1(2), 2(3)(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 17 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 81(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I2",
      "text": "S. 17 in force at 1.6.2025 for specified purposes by S.I. 2025/616, reg. 2(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I3",
      "text": "S. 17 in force at 1.10.2025 in so far as not already in force by S.I. 2025/616, reg. 2(b)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "substituted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2026/19",
      "affecting_title": "Victims and Courts Act 2026"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/21/section/17",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-31T10:33:12.536425+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."
}