Criminal Justice Modernisation and Abusive Domestic Behaviour Reviews (Scotland) Act 2025

22 Carrying out of review

(1) Where the outcome of consideration of a death under section 19 is that a domestic homicide or suicide review is to be carried out in respect of the death, the chair of the review oversight committee must establish a case review panel to carry out the review.

(2) Where the committee considers it appropriate to do so, it may—

(a) establish a panel to carry out a combined review of two or more deaths,

(b) instruct the panel to carry out its review in conjunction with a review of another type being carried out by someone else into circumstances relating to the death in question.

(3) In respect of each domestic homicide or suicide review, the committee—

(a) must specify the terms on which the review is to be undertaken (the review’s “terms of reference”), and

(b) may modify the terms of reference as it considers appropriate.

(4) Where the remit of a review is expanded under section 20, the terms of reference must reflect the expansion.

(5) The terms of reference of a review may be modified under subsection (3)(b) so as to set any remit which could have been set following consideration under section 20, but subsection (5) of that section applies to any expansion of the remit by modification as it applies to any expansion of the remit under that section.

(6) The committee must ensure that the panel established to carry out a review—

(a) makes satisfactory progress in doing so,

(b) acts in accordance with the review’s terms of reference, and

(c) suspends, discontinues or resumes its review in accordance with any notice received by the committee under section 23.

(7) The Scottish Ministers may reimburse the expenses reasonably incurred by any person who participates in a domestic homicide or suicide review.