Legislation – Victims and Prisoners Act 2024

Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 29 December 2025. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date.

Changes to Legislation

Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the affected provisions when you open the content using the Table of Contents below.

View outstanding changes

Changes and effects yet to be applied to :

s. 23(3) coming into force by S.I. 2025/1325 reg. 2(a)
s. 24(3) coming into force by S.I. 2025/1325 reg. 2(b)
s. 25(3) coming into force by S.I. 2025/1325 reg. 2(c)
s. 26(3) coming into force by S.I. 2025/1325 reg. 2(d)
s. 28 coming into force by S.I. 2025/1168 reg. 3(a)
s. 29 coming into force by S.I. 2025/1168 reg. 3(b)
s. 30 coming into force by S.I. 2025/1168 reg. 3(c)
s. 61 coming into force by S.I. 2025/1325 reg. 2(e)
s. 62 coming into force by S.I. 2025/1325 reg. 2(f)
s. 63 coming into force by S.I. 2025/1325 reg. 2(f)
s. 64 coming into force by S.I. 2025/1325 reg. 2(f)

Victims and Prisoners Act 2024

Part 1Victims of criminal conduct

3Preparing and issuing the victims’ code

4Revising the victims’ code

5Code compliance

6Code awareness and reviewing compliance: criminal justice bodies

7Arrangements for collection of victims’ feedback

8Reviewing code compliance: elected local policing bodies

9Code awareness and reviewing compliance: British Transport Police

10Code awareness and reviewing compliance: Ministry of Defence Police

11Reviewing code compliance: Secretary of State and Attorney General

12Guidance on code awareness and reviewing compliance

Collaboration in exercise of victim support functions

13Duty to collaborate in exercise of victim support functions

14Strategy for collaboration in exercise of victim support functions

15Guidance on collaboration in exercise of victim support functions

Guidance about specified victim support roles

16Guidance about specified victim support roles

Disclosures by victims that cannot be precluded by agreement

17Disclosures by victims that cannot be precluded by agreement

Victims of domestic abuse

18Restricting parental responsibility where one parent kills the other

19Domestic abuse related death reviews

20Child victims of domestic abuse

Victim impact statements to mental health tribunals (restricted patients)

21Victim impact statements to mental health tribunals (restricted patients)

Victims’ Commissioner

22Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses

Inspections by criminal justice inspectorates

23His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons

24His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary

25His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service

26His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Probation for England and Wales

Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration

27Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration

Information relating to victims

28Information relating to victims

29Information relating to victims: service police etc

30Review of provisions relating to counselling information requests

31Right to erasure of personal data in the UK

Data protection

32Data protection

Consequential provision

33Consequential provision

Part 2Victims of major incidents

Meaning of “major incident” etc

34Meaning of “major incident” etc

Appointment of advocates

35Appointment of standing advocate

36Appointment of advocates in respect of major incidents

37Terms of appointment

38Appointment of more than one advocate in respect of same major incident

Functions and powers of advocates in respect of major incidents

39Functions of advocates appointed in respect of major incidents

40Role of advocates under Part 1 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009

Functions and powers of advocates: general

41Reports to the Secretary of State

42Publication of reports

43Information sharing and data protection

Guidance for advocates

44Guidance for advocates

Consequential amendments

45Consequential amendments

Reviews

46Review of duty of candour in relation to major incidents

47Review of operation of Part 2

Part 3Infected blood compensation

48Infected Blood Compensation Authority

49Infected blood compensation scheme

50Payments

51Applications and procedure

52Reviews and appeals

53Information: infected blood compensation scheme

54Duty to co-operate with the IBCA

55Provision of support and assistance

56Payments to personal representatives of qualifying infected persons

57Information: payments to personal representatives

Part 4Prisoners

Public protection decisions

58Public protection decisions: life prisoners

59Public protection decisions: fixed-term prisoners

60Amendment of power to change test for release on licence of certain prisoners

Referral of release decisions

61Referral of release decisions: life prisoners

62Referral of release decisions: fixed-term prisoners

Licence conditions on release following referral

63Licence conditions of life prisoners released following referral

64Licence conditions of fixed-term prisoners released following referral

Assessing etc risks posed by controlling or coercive offenders

65Assessing etc risks posed by controlling or coercive offenders

Imprisonment or detention for public protection

66Imprisonment or detention for public protection

67Imprisonment or detention for public protection: annual report

Extension of home detention curfew

68Extension of home detention curfew

Application of Convention rights

69Section 3 of the Human Rights Act 1998: life prisoners

70Section 3 of the Human Rights Act 1998: fixed-term prisoners

71Section 3 of the Human Rights Act 1998: power to change release test

72Application of certain Convention rights in prisoner release cases

The Parole Board

73Parole Board rules

74Parole Board membership

Whole life prisoners prohibited from forming a marriage or civil partnership

75Whole life prisoners prohibited from forming a marriage

76Whole life prisoners prohibited from forming a civil partnership

Part 5General

77Financial provision

78Power to make consequential provision

Schedule 1Infected Blood Compensation Authority

Part 1Constitution

1Membership

2Appointment of non-executive members

3Appointment of executive members

4Appointments of members: eligibility

5Terms of membership

6Non-executive members: payments

7Staffing

8Interim chief executive

9Committees and sub-committees

10Procedure

11Exercise of functions

12Funding

13Annual report

14Accounts and audit

15Meaning of “financial year”

16Provision of information

17Status

18Seal and evidence

19Supplementary powers

Part 2Transfer schemes

20Power to make transfer schemes

21Tax treatment of transfer schemes

Part 3Amendments

22Public Records Act 1958 (c. 51)

23Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 (c. 67)

24Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 (c. 13)

25House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 (c. 24)

26Northern Ireland Assembly Disqualification Act 1975 (c. 25)

27Freedom of Information Act 2000 (c. 36)

28Equality Act 2010 (c. 15)

Schedule 2Offences relevant to public protection decisions

Royal arms

Victims and Prisoners Act 2024

2024 CHAPTER 21

An Act to make provision about victims of criminal conduct and others affected by criminal conduct; about the appointment and functions of advocates for victims of major incidents; for an infected blood compensation scheme; about the release of prisoners; about the membership and functions of the Parole Board; to prohibit certain prisoners from forming a marriage or civil partnership; and for connected purposes.

[24th May 2024]

Be it enacted by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—