Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004

Domestic homicide reviews

9 Establishment and conduct of reviews

(1) In this section “domestic homicide review” means a review of the circumstances in which the death of a person aged 16 or over has, or appears to have, resulted from violence, abuse or neglect by—

(a) a person to whom he was related or with whom he was or had been in an intimate personal relationship, or

(b) a member of the same household as himself,

held with a view to identifying the lessons to be learnt from the death.

(2) The Secretary of State may in a particular case direct a specified person or body within subsection (4) to establish, or to participate in, a domestic homicide review.

(3) It is the duty of any person or body within subsection (4) establishing or participating in a domestic homicide review (whether or not held pursuant to a direction under subsection (2)) to have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State as to the establishment and conduct of such reviews.

(4) The persons and bodies within this subsection are—

(a) in relation to England and Wales—

• chief officers of police for police areas in England and Wales;

• local authorities;

• local probation boards established under section 4 of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 (c. 43);

• Strategic Health Authorities established under section 8 of the National Health Service Act 1977 (c. 49);

• Primary Care Trusts established under Section 16A of that Act.

• Local Health Boards established under section 16BA of that Act;

• NHS trusts established under section 5 of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 (c. 19);

(b) in relation to Northern Ireland—

• the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland;

• the Probation Board for Northern Ireland;

• Health and Social Services Boards established under Article 16 of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972 (S.I. 1972/1265 (N.I. 14));

• Health and Social Services trusts established under Article 10 of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 (S.I. 1991/194 (N.I. 1)).

(5) In subsection (4)(a) “local authority” means—

(a) in relation to England, the council of a district, county or London borough, the Common Council of the City of London and the Council of the Isles of Scilly;

(b) in relation to Wales, the council of a county or county borough.

(6) The Secretary of State may by order amend subsection (4) or (5).