Adoption and Children Act 2002

57 Restrictions on disclosure of protected etc. information E+W

(1) Any section 56 information kept by an adoption agency which—

(a) is about an adopted person or any other person, and

(b) is or includes identifying information about the person in question,

may only be disclosed by the agency to a person (other than the person the information is about) in pursuance of this group of sections.

(2) Any information kept by an adoption agency—

(a) which the agency has obtained from the Registrar General on an application under section 79(5) and any other information which would enable the adopted person to obtain a certified copy of the record of his birth, or

(b) which is information about an entry relating to the adopted person in the Adoption Contact Register,

may only be disclosed to a person by the agency in pursuance of this group of sections.

(3) In this group of sections, information the disclosure of which to a person is restricted by virtue of subsection (1) or (2) is referred to (in relation to him) as protected information.

(4) Identifying information about a person means information which, whether taken on its own or together with other information disclosed by an adoption agency, identifies the person or enables the person to be identified.

(5) This section does not prevent the disclosure of protected information in pursuance of a prescribed agreement to which the adoption agency is a party.

(6) Regulations may authorise or require an adoption agency to disclose protected information to a person who is not an adopted person.

Commencement Information

I1 S. 57 in force at 7.12.2004 for specified purposes for E. by S.I. 2004/3203, art. 2(1)(m)(v)

I2 S. 57 in force at 30.12.2005 for E. in so far as not already in force by S.I. 2005/2213, art. 3(k) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2005/2897, arts. 3-16)

I3 S. 57(1)-(4) (6) in force at 30.12.2005 for W. by S.I. 2005/3112, art. 2(e)

I4 S. 57(5) in force at 7.2.2004 for specified purposes for W. by S.I. 2004/252, art. 2(c)

I5 S. 57(5) in force at 30.12.2005 for W. in so far as not already in force by S.I. 2005/3112, art. 2(e)

I6 S. 57(6) in force at 7.2.2004 for W. by S.I. 2004/252, art. 2(b)