Nottinghamshire police officers using Clare’s Law to keep more people safe
More Nottinghamshire women than ever before are seeking to protect themselves and their families by asking the police whether their partners are hiding a violent and dangerous past.
So far in 2025, more than 1,500 people have made requests to Nottinghamshire Police under the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme – a huge increase driven partly by popular culture.
The scheme – widely known as Clare’s Law – was introduced in 2014 and gives anyone the “right to ask” the police whether their partner has a history of domestic abuse.
More than 650 of those requests have been granted in 2025.
It also allows officers to proactively warn people who may be unaware of their ex-partner’s abusive past. This is called the “right to know.”
A total of 188 proactive ‘right to know’ disclosures have also been made – giving people the knowledge they need to potentially end the abusive relationship they as early as possible.
The increase in “right to ask” referrals has been attributed in part to a high-profile storyline in the TV show Emmerdale.
In order to deal with the increased demand, Nottinghamshire Police is now embracing new technology, with disclosures being made via secure video link as well as in person.
The secure conferencing system is already being used to speak in confidence with victims of domestic abuse and has been designed with confidentiality at its core.
So far this year, the national 28 day turnaround target for disclosures has been met 95 per cent of the time – despite the significant increase in demand.
Detective Inspector Jackie Price said: “Clare’s Law really is one of the most impactful pieces of legislation I have come across.
“It is also a fitting tribute to the person this legislation was named in honour of – a young woman who was killed by a man with a hidden violent past.
“The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme has been a key part of our safeguarding process for some time now and is embedded in our policies and procedures for consideration in every case of domestic abuse.
“Because the truth is that domestic abuse is rarely a one-off; it is mostly a pattern of repeating and escalating behaviours perpetrated against multiple partners.
“So, whilst it remains a challenge to respond to such high levels of demand, we also have to remember that each of these requests is an opportunity for us to end abusive relationships and to protect people from very serious harm in the future.”