On 1 March, the ‘Disclosure of information between family and criminal agencies and jurisdictions: 2024 protocol’ replaced the October 2013 protocol and good practice model ‘Disclosure of information in cases of alleged child abuse and linked criminal and care directions hearings’, which is often referred to as the police protocol.
The 2024 protocol relates to all private and public family law proceedings, and all material held by the police. It will be reviewed in 2025 by a working group comprising the judiciary, local authorities, police and the Crown Prosecution Service. It is in three parts: disclosure from the police to family proceedings; disclosure sought by an investigator; and linked directions hearings.
The 2024 protocol can be viewed through the Courts & Tribunals Judiciary website.
