Policy background Homicide reviews
Reviews of certain deaths currently take place in England and Wales under sections 16M to 16Q of the Children Act 2004, section 9 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, section 44 of the Care Act 2014, section 135(4)(a) of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, section 70 of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 and section 1.5.4 of NHS England’s Serious Incidents Framework in certain specified circumstances, namely where a person aged under 18 dies, a person dies due to domestic violence, a vulnerable adult dies, or someone in receipt of mental health care commits homicide. The reviews are a formal process bringing together relevant local safeguarding partners to learn lessons and to make recommendations for change and improvement in order to prevent future homicides.
	In April 2018, the Government published its Serious Violence Strategy to help further tackle knife crime, gun crime and homicide. The then Home Secretary expressed determination to "take action to address serious violence and in particular the recent increases in knife crime, gun crime and homicide". Currently most adult homicides are not subject to a formal review and therefore there is no process for learning lessons and making recommendations for change and improvement in order to help to prevent future homicides.
	Chapter 2 of Part 2 of the Act introduces a new legal requirement on relevant partners in England and Wales to arrange and conduct homicide reviews in prescribed circumstances for adult homicides involving offensive weapons. This legal requirement is placed on the review partners – the relevant local authority/authorities, police chief constable and clinical commissioning group/local health board - and there is also requirement for any individual or body asked to provide relevant information to a review to comply.
	This Chapter provide for the legislative framework for these new offensive weapons homicide reviews, and allows for secondary legislation to implement specific operational details, which will be made following engagement and co-design with local partners.