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Clare's Law

Protecting Women from Domestic Abuse – Clare’s Law

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Clare’s Law came into effect on April 1, 2021.

The Disclosure to Protect Against Domestic Violence (Clare’s Law) Act was modelled after the United Kingdom’s Law, which was named after a young woman who was killed by an ex-boyfriend with a history of domestic violence.

Albertans making a Clare’s Law application have a right to privacy and can trust that their personal information will be safeguarded and only relevant details will be disclosed.

Disclosures are only made so a person at risk can make an informed choice about their safety. Any information released cannot be shared or used for other purposes and must be kept confidential.

Preventing domestic violence

The Disclosure to Protect Against Domestic Violence (Clare’s Law) Act gives people who feel at risk of domestic violence a way to get information about their partners so they can make informed choices about their safety. Alberta’s version of Clare’s Law is named after a young woman killed by an ex-boyfriend with a history of violence against women.

People at risk can find out if their partner has a history of:

  • domestic violence
  • stalking or harassment
  • breaches of no-contact orders
  • other relevant acts

Definitions

Person at risk – the person determined to be at risk of domestic violence.

Person of disclosure – the person you want to get information about.

Disclosure – when the police provide a person at risk with information about the potential risk of domestic violence.

Through Clare’s Law, Albertans have the right to know and ask about an intimate partner’s past and whether they have a history of violence.

People who feel they may be at risk can submit an online application through the Clare’s Law website at no cost.

The government has improved Clare’s Law process to make it more efficient, easier to navigate and more responsive.

This includes adjusting the risk analysis process to decrease turnaround times so applicants are provided information as quickly as possible while also making sure applicants receive comprehensive information in a more accessible format.

As a result, the backlog of risk assessments caused by the large number of applications received has been addressed.

To date, more than 300 information disclosures have been made available to Albertans, helping them make informed choices about their safety and relationships. Many more disclosures are currently being completed by police.

In addition, police forms were consolidated to simplify the process and the application form was amended to make it easier to understand. These improvements were based on feedback from applicants.

 

Read more here:

Ladies Corner’s Panel on Domestic Abuse

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