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Ark. Code Ann. § 12-18-803

Privileged communications as evidence — Exception

Known as the Child Maltreatment Act

The act spans §§ 12–12 (121 sections).

Acts 2009, No. 749, § 1.

(1) It is the public policy of the State of Arkansas to protect the health, safety, and the welfare of children within the state.

(2) No privilege, except that between a lawyer and client or between a minister, including a Christian Science practitioner, and a person confessing to or being counseled by the minister shall prevent anyone from testifying concerning child maltreatment.

(3) When a physician, psychologist, psychiatrist, or licensed counselor or therapist conducts interviews with or provides therapy to a subject of a report of suspected child maltreatment for purposes related to child maltreatment, the physician, psychologist, psychiatrist, or licensed counselor or therapist is deemed to be performing services on behalf of the child.

(4) An adult subject of a report of suspected child maltreatment cannot invoke privilege on the child's behalf.

Current official text: Arkansas General Assembly. Digitized from the UniCourt Code Improvement Commission public-domain capture. Reproduced from public-domain Arkansas statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.