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Section 97: Privacy for children involved in certain proceedings.

Children Act 1989 · 1989 c. 41View on legislation.gov.uk

Part XII: Miscellaneous and General

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No person shall publish to the public at large or any section of the public any material which is intended, or likely, to identify—

any child as being involved in any proceedings before the High Court or the family court in which any power under this Act or the Adoption and Children Act 2002 may be exercised by the court with respect to that or any other child; or
an address or school as being that of a child involved in any such proceedings.

In any proceedings for an offence under this section it shall be a defence for the accused to prove that he did not know, and had no reason to suspect, that the published material was intended, or likely, to identify the child.

The court or the Lord Chancellor may, if satisfied that the welfare of the child requires it and, in the case of the Lord Chancellor, if the Lord Chief Justice agrees , by order dispense with the requirements of subsection (2) to such extent as may be specified in the order.

For the purposes of this section—

  • "publish" includes—

    (a)include in a programme service (within the meaning of the Broadcasting Act 1990);

    (b)cause to be published; and

  • "material" includes any picture or representation.

Any person who contravenes this section shall be guilty of an offence and liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

It is not a contravention of this section to—

enter material in the Adoption and Children Act Register (established under section 125 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002), or
permit persons to search and inspect that register pursuant to regulations made under section 128A of that Act.

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The Lord Chief Justice may nominate a judicial office holder (as defined in section 109(4) of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005) to exercise his functions under subsection (4).

About this text

This legislation text comes from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. These source and reuse terms cover the legislation text, not Remedy's commentary.

Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.