Daniel's Law refers to different protections or registries in various jurisdictions, so its meaning depends on the country or state in question. Based on the recent sources, here are the two most prominent contemporary uses:
- In Queensland, Australia, Daniel’s Law establishes a public register of child sex offenders. It creates a multi-tier disclosure framework that allows the community to access information about certain offenders, with safeguards on what is disclosed and to whom. The intent is to empower parents and communities to assess risk and keep children safer, while also introducing offences to prevent misuse of information. The legislation was anticipated to become operational around late October 2025 following parliamentary passage. This version honors Daniel Morcombe, a Queensland teenager whose case spurred child-protection reforms.
- In the United States, the phrase “Daniel’s Law” has been used in some contexts to describe state-level child welfare or safe haven-type provisions named after Daniel Morcombe’s influence in Australia, but more commonly the term in the U.S. appears in discussions or analyses rather than a single nationwide statute. Other jurisdictions (e.g., New Jersey) have their own laws titled “Daniel’s Law” relating to redaction of certain residence information for public servants, which is unrelated to child offender registries. If you’re asking about a specific Daniel’s Law, please specify the country or state to get precise details.
Direct answer:
- If you mean Daniel’s Law in Queensland, Australia: it is the public child sex offender register with a three-tier disclosure system intended to help parents assess local risk while restricting sensitive data and preventing misuse. The scheme was advancing through the final stages of passage around October 2025.
- If you mean Daniel’s Law in another jurisdiction (such as New Jersey in the U.S.), it typically refers to a different, unrelated statute (e.g., redaction rules for residence information of public servants). Please specify the jurisdiction for a precise explanation.
