The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (Clare’s Law): How to Ask About His Past

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Something about him does not add up. A comment from his ex. A flash of temper that came from nowhere. A story about his last relationship that changes each time he tells it.

In England and Wales you do not have to guess. You can ask the police whether he has a history of abuse. The scheme that lets you do this is the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, better known as Clare’s Law.

What the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme is

The scheme is known as Clare’s Law after Clare Wood, who was murdered in 2009 by a former partner. He had a history of violence that she knew nothing about.

It has run across every police force in England and Wales since March 2014. Since April 2023 it has had a legal footing under section 77 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which requires the Home Secretary to issue guidance on the scheme to the police.

The two routes

  • Right to Ask. You ask the police to check whether a current or former partner has a violent or abusive past. A third party, such as a family member, can also ask on your behalf.
  • Right to Know. The police decide for themselves to tell you, because they hold information that suggests you may be at risk.

How to ask

  • Call 101.
  • Go to a police station.
  • Apply online through your local police force.

If you are in immediate danger, call 999.

What happens next

The police will take your details and may come back to you for more information. They then check their records and decide whether to share anything with you.

The guidance gives the police 28 days to complete the process. That was reduced from 35 days when the scheme was updated.

What the scheme cannot tell you

A disclosure only covers what the police already know. If he has never been reported, there may be nothing on record. An answer of “nothing to disclose” does not mean he is safe. It means the police hold nothing they can share.

If your instincts are telling you something is wrong, they still count.

Before you apply

  • Use a phone or computer he cannot check.
  • Tell the police the safest way and time to contact you.
  • Think about where you would want to be when you hear the answer.

Other laws named after women

Raneem’s Law. Raneem Oudeh and her mother, Khaola Saleem, were murdered by Raneem’s ex-husband in August 2018. Raneem called 999 four times that night. The scheme named after her places domestic abuse specialists inside police 999 control rooms. It began in five forces in 2025, expanded to 17 in June 2026, and the government has committed to every force in England and Wales by 2029.

Jennie’s Law. In Ireland, Jennifer Poole was murdered in 2021 by a former partner whose previous conviction for assaulting an ex she did not know about. Jennie’s Law was signed in July 2026 and creates a public register of people convicted of serious domestic violence offences against a partner. Unlike Clare’s Law, anyone will be able to search it, and the victim must consent before a name is added.

Kiena’s Law. Kiena Dawes was a 23-year-old mother from Lancashire who took her own life in July 2022 after prolonged domestic abuse and coercive control. A petition launched in her name in July 2026 calls for a specific criminal offence of domestic abuse-related suicide, and for coercive and controlling behaviour to be brought within the rules that allow longer sentences for dangerous offenders. It is a campaign and has not become law.

Valerie’s Law. Valerie Forde and her baby daughter were murdered by Valerie’s ex-partner in 2014, after she had reported his threats to the police. A petition in her name called for mandatory specialist training for police and agencies supporting Black women affected by domestic abuse. It gathered more than 106,000 signatures and was debated in Parliament in 2022. The government declined to make the training compulsory. The campaign has continued, with a roundtable on the proposal held in Parliament in February 2026, but it has not become law.

If any of this is close to your own experience and you are thinking about ending your life, call 999 or go to A&E. You deserve help today.

The Women’s Railroad

The Women’s Railroad is the original practical guide to equip women with the knowledge and options to navigate and leave domestic abuse. If what you learn worries you, the guide is where to go next.

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