Scotland to start domestic homicide reviews on 1 April

Scotland will begin statutory domestic homicide and suicide reviews for cases that occur on or after 1 April 2026. The change flows from commencement regulations made by Scottish Ministers on 12 February 2026 and laid before the Scottish Parliament on 16 February 2026, with set‑up powers taking effect from 26 February 2026, as recorded on legislation.gov.uk.

We are talking about the Criminal Justice Modernisation and Abusive Domestic Behaviour Reviews (Scotland) Act 2025 and its first commencement and transitional regulations (S.S.I. 2026/85). If you are studying this in class, treat them as the timetable for when different legal duties switch on.

What changes on 26 February 2026 is mostly the machinery that allows the system to get ready. Sections 3; 9(1), (3) and (4); 13 to 16; 24; 25; 27; 31(2) and (3), and the Act’s schedule come into force. On that date, section 9(1) moves from partial to full commencement; section 15 starts only so Ministers can appoint case review panel chairs; and sections 25 and 27 start only to let Ministers make the detailed regulations that follow.

From 1 April 2026 the remaining provisions of Part 2-this is the section of the Act that creates domestic homicide and suicide reviews-come fully into force where they are not already active. In other words, the new statutory duty applies to eligible cases that occur on or after that date.

What this means in practice is simple on the dates and strict on eligibility. A death on 31 March 2026 is not covered by the new review duty. The same kind of case on 1 April 2026 is covered. Earlier tragedies may still be considered through other processes, but not under this new statutory scheme.

The regulations signpost two key trigger terms back to section 12 of the Act for the exact legal definitions: a ‘domestic abuse death’ and a ‘connected death of a young person’. In everyday reading, these are deaths linked to domestic abuse, including situations involving young people, but always rely on section 12 for the precise test used in law.

Why the two‑stage start? The 26 February switch‑on lets the Scottish Government put chairs in place for case review panels and write the secondary rules under sections 25(7) and 27(10). That short runway is designed to make sure the system is ready to handle reviews the moment April arrives.

Here’s the timeline you can teach with clear dates. The Bill received Royal Assent on 19 November 2025 (2025 asp 14). Part 3 of the Act took effect on 20 November 2025. Sections 1, 2, 4, 8, 9(1) insofar as it related to section 9(2), 9(2) and 10 began on 1 December 2025. The first commencement regulations were then made on 12 February 2026, laid on 16 February, with commencement on 26 February and full Part 2 operation from 1 April 2026.

For educators and youth workers, this is about cooperation and records rather than carrying out investigations yourselves. If your setting is asked to contribute information to a review, expect clear written requests, respect confidentiality and data protection, and know who your safeguarding lead is. Reviews look for system learning, not individual blame.

For students of law, criminology or social policy, a strong starter task is to map which sections come into force on which date and why certain powers-like appointing panel chairs-need to arrive first. Another is to explore how learning reviews sit alongside, and never replace, police investigations and court processes.

Glossary to help your reading: ‘Commencement Regulations’ are the legal switch that turns on parts of an Act after it has become law. ‘Laid before the Scottish Parliament’ means the instrument is formally placed before MSPs and published. ‘Transitional provision’ smooths the move from the old position to the new one. A ‘case review panel chair’ is the person Ministers appoint to lead a review. ‘Part 2’ is the section of the 2025 Act that creates domestic homicide and suicide reviews. ‘Section 12’ is where the Act defines key terms like ‘domestic abuse death’.

Transparency note: the source for the dates and section numbers in this piece is the official legislation record at legislation.gov.uk. Angela Constance, a member of the Scottish Government, signed the instrument at St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh, on 12 February 2026.

Content note: this article discusses domestic abuse and suicide. If you are affected by any of this, speak to someone you trust or a support service in your area. In an emergency, call 999.

What it means for public understanding is straightforward: Scotland is moving to a statutory, learning‑focused way of examining deaths linked to domestic abuse, with young people explicitly in scope through the Act’s definitions. The key point to remember is the date-1 April 2026 for eligible cases-and that set‑up work begins on 26 February 2026.