Gavin Howe
Clare's Law, officially known as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, was created by Michael Brown, the father of Clare Wood, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend. The inquest into Clare's death revealed that her ex-boyfriend had a history of violence against women, which she was unaware of due to a loophole in the Data Protection Act. Michael campaigned for the right to know a partner's history of violence, believing that this knowledge could have saved his daughter's life. His efforts led to the creation of Clare's Law in England and Wales in 2014, with versions of the law also being implemented or proposed in other parts of the UK, Australia, and Canada.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Clare's Law |
| Other Names | Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, Domestic Abuse Bill, Domestic Abuse Act 2021 |
| Creator | Michael Brown, father of Clare Wood |
| Creation Year | 2014 |
| Creation Place | England and Wales |
| Purpose | To reduce intimate partner violence, help prevent domestic abuse, and give the right to know of a partner's history of violence |
| Main Elements | Right to ask, Right to know |
| Application Methods | Online, Phone, Police Station |
| Application Requirements | Personal information, including name, date of birth, address, and contact number |
| Application Process | Police complete initial checks and arrange a face-to-face meeting to gather information and ensure the application is genuine |
| Information Disclosure | Police decide whether to share information about a partner's criminal history, but do not provide records |
| Privacy Concerns | Raises privacy issues under English common law and Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights |
| Implementation | Adopted or proposed in the UK, Australia, and Canada |
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What You'll Learn
The right to ask
Clare's Law, officially known as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, designates several ways for police officers to disclose a person's history of abusive behaviour to those who may be at risk. The law is named after Clare Wood, a 36-year-old woman from Yorkshire who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, George Appleton, in 2009.
Clare's Law has two main elements: the 'right to ask' and the 'right to know'. The 'right to ask' allows members of the public, including a domestic partner, to request information from the police about a potential abuser. This can be done online, over the phone, or by visiting a police station. The police will then complete initial checks and arrange a face-to-face meeting to gather further information about the nature of the relationship and ensure that the application is genuine.
The 'right to ask' applies no matter the gender identity, ethnicity, race, religion, or other characteristics of the individual making the enquiry or the person about whom they are enquiring. Anyone aged 16 or older can make a request under Clare's Law. This right enables individuals to take proactive steps to protect themselves or their loved ones from potential harm by seeking information about a partner's criminal history.
The 'right to ask' under Clare's Law has been implemented in various forms across the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. It provides a valuable tool for members of the public to access information that can help them make informed decisions about their safety and well-being.
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The right to know
Clare's Law, officially known as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, designates ways for police officers to disclose a person's history of abusive behaviour to those who may be at risk. It is intended to reduce intimate partner violence.
Clare's Law is named after Clare Wood, a 36-year-old woman from Yorkshire who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, George Appleton, in 2009. Wood was initially unaware of Appleton's violent criminal history and later believed his convictions had been for moving violations. After ending their relationship due to his coercive behaviour and infidelity, Appleton refused to move on, subjecting her to consistent abuse. Despite Wood's numerous reports to the police, including a police statement and a restraining order, his behaviour continued.
Clare's Law was created by Michael Brown, Wood's father, to give others the right to know of a partner's history of violence. He believed that this knowledge could have saved his daughter's life. Brown's campaigning resulted in the creation of Clare's Law, which was first implemented in England and Wales in 2014. It has since been adopted or proposed in various forms across the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.
The 'right to know' element of Clare's Law allows the police to proactively disclose information about a person's history of abusive behaviour. Police will check their records for any convictions or suggestions of a risk of abusive or violent offences and then decide whether to share this information. This disclosure is done via a face-to-face meeting, where the aim is to gather further information about the nature of the relationship and ensure the application is genuine. The 'right to know' provides individuals with the legal right to check the offending history of their partner, no longer leaving this solely to police discretion.
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Michael Brown's campaign
Michael Brown, Clare Wood's father, launched the "Respect and Protect" campaign, later renamed the ""Clare's Law Campaign", to create a legal means for police to warn potential targets of abuse about their partners' violent pasts. Brown was appalled that his daughter's murderer, George Appleton, had a violent criminal history that was not common knowledge. He was also shocked to discover that abusive partners could hide behind a loophole in the Data Protection Act.
The campaign saw Brown lobby politicians, appear on primetime television and radio, and be featured in countless newspaper and magazine articles. He worked alongside Manchester news reporter Michelle Livesey and local MP Hazel Blears, who provided parliamentary support. Brown also met with the then-Home Secretary Theresa May, who announced the launch of a Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme consultation.
Clare's Law was finally passed in England and Wales in 2014, in Scotland in 2016, and in Northern Ireland in 2018. It has also been trialled in Australia and Canada. Brown was recognised with several awards for his efforts, including a British Citizen Award (2020) and an Everyday Heroes Award in his hometown of Aberdeen (2020). He was also posthumously awarded the 2020 She Inspires award in the "He For She" category.
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Clare Wood's story
Clare Wood was a 36-year-old mother from Batley, Yorkshire, who was living in Salford in 2009 to be closer to her 10-year-old daughter, Madeleine. Wood was divorced from Madeleine's father and had met her murderer and ex-boyfriend, 40-year-old George Appleton, on Facebook. Unbeknownst to Wood, Appleton had a violent criminal history and a history of abusive behaviour, particularly towards women.
Wood and Appleton dated for several months before Wood ended their relationship in October 2008 due to Appleton's coercive behaviour and infidelity. Despite the breakup, Appleton refused to move on, subjecting Wood to consistent abusive behaviour, including harassment, damage to property, threats of violence, and attempted assault. Wood made a police statement and obtained a restraining order against Appleton, but his behaviour continued.
In February 2009, Appleton took Wood's life before taking his own days later. Throughout her relationship with Appleton, Wood had made numerous reports to the police, including complaints of sexual assault, criminal damage, threats to kill, and harassment. An inquest into Wood's death revealed that the police were aware of Appleton's history of violence against women but had failed to disclose this information to Wood due to a loophole in the Data Protection Act.
Following his daughter's murder, Michael Brown campaigned to create legal means for the police to warn potential targets of abuse about their partners' violent pasts. His efforts led to the creation of Clare's Law in the UK and abroad. Clare's Law, officially known as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, provides members of the public with the right to ask and the right to know about a partner's history of abusive behaviour. The law was first implemented in England and Wales in 2014 and has since been adopted or proposed in various forms in other parts of the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.
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International adoption
Clare's Law is a police-run scheme that allows members of the public to request information about a partner's criminal history if they believe they may be at risk of domestic abuse. It is also known as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme. The law was created by Michael Brown, the father of Clare Wood, a 36-year-old woman from Yorkshire who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, George Appleton, in 2009. Wood had ended their relationship due to Appleton's coercive behaviour and infidelity, but he continued to subject her to abuse. Despite Wood reporting Appleton to the police and obtaining a restraining order, his behaviour went unchecked, and he eventually took her life before taking his own days later.
The inquest into Clare's death revealed that Appleton had a record of violent behaviour against women, which she was not informed of due to a loophole in the Data Protection Act. This loophole allowed domestic abusers or individuals with a history of violent or abusive behaviour to conceal their records, leaving their partners unaware and at greater risk. Following his daughter's death, Brown campaigned for the right to know, believing that this knowledge could have saved Clare's life. He advocated for a police disclosure scheme that would allow everyone to know their partner's history of violence.
Clare's Law was first implemented in England and Wales in 2014 and has since been adopted or proposed in various forms across the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. In the United Kingdom, it has been introduced in Scotland (2016) and Northern Ireland (2018). In Australia, several states have implemented or trialled the scheme, including New South Wales, South Australia, and Queensland. In Canada, versions of Clare's Law have been adopted in multiple provinces, including Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Newfoundland & Labrador.
The law has two main elements: the 'right to ask' and the 'right to know'. The 'right to ask' enables members of the public, including a domestic partner, to request information from the police about a potential abuser's history. The 'right to know' permits the police to disclose such information on their own initiative if they believe an individual may be at risk. These rights are not limited to heterosexual relationships and extend to same-sex relationships as well. Additionally, the law applies regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, race, religion, or other characteristics.
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Frequently asked questions
Clare's Law was created by Michael Brown, the father of Clare Wood, after she was murdered by her ex-boyfriend.
Clare Wood was a 36-year-old woman from Yorkshire who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, George Appleton, in 2009.
Clare's Law, often known as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, is a police-run scheme that lets any member of the public formally request or receive confidential information about a partner's criminal history.
Clare's Law has two main elements: the right to ask, which allows members of the public to request information from the police about a potential abuser, and the right to know, which permits police to disclose such information on their own initiative.
Clare's Law was first implemented in England and Wales in 2014. It has since been introduced in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Canada, and Australia.
