The Victim and Prisoners Act 2024 which comes into force on the 1st October 2025 makes clear in statute that non-disclosure agreements such as settlement agreements cannot be enforced in so far as they seek to prevent victims from reporting crime to the police.
Under section 17 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, non-disclosure agreements signed on or after 1 October 2025 will not be enforceable against victims of crime in relation to the disclosure of information about relevant conduct to the following groups and for the following purposes:-
Police or other bodies which investigate or prosecute crime, for investigating or prosecuting the relevant conduct
Qualified lawyers, for seeking legal advice about the relevant conduct
Regulated professionals (including regulated healthcare professionals), for obtaining professional support in relation to the relevant conduct
Victim support services, for obtaining support in relation to the relevant conduct
Regulators, for cooperating with the regulator in relation to the relevant conduct
To a person authorised to receive information on behalf of any of the above, for the relevant purposes mentioned above
A victim’s close family, for the purpose of obtaining support in relation to the relevant conduct.