Peter Hungerford-Welch, associate dean, The City Law School, City University London. www.city.ac.uk/law
Practice Direction (contact orders)(disclosure of information to officers of the national probation service) [2008] All ER (D) 74 (Nov) (magistrates’ courts) and [2008] All ER (D) 94 (Nov) (High Court and county courts)
Where a court is considering an application for an enforcement order in relation to a contact order under the Children Act 1989, or for an order following an alleged breach of an enforcement order, and asks an officer of the probation service to provide information to the court, and the officer will need to discuss aspects of the court case with an officer of the National Probation Service, the court should give leave to that officer to disclose to the National Probation Service such information (whether or not contained in a document filed with the court) in relation to the proceedings as is necessary.
