Statutory guidance

Offensive weapons homicide reviews

What organisations must do when carrying out an offensive weapon homicide review.

• From: Home Office
• Published: 29 March 2023
• Last updated: 29 April 2024
  Show all updates

  1. 29 April 2024

     Added document: 'New member of the offensive weapons homicide review oversight board appointed'.

  2. 7 June 2023

     'Chair and first member of the OWHR Oversight Board appointed': added further biographical information about Dale Simon.

  3. 1 June 2023

     Added document: Chair and first member of the OWHR Oversight Board appointed.

  4. 25 May 2023

     Added accessible HTML version of the Welsh translation.

  5. 19 May 2023

     Welsh translation of the statutory guidance has been added.

  6. 14 April 2023

     Updated the PDF versions of the statutory guidance so the forms can be filled in digitally. Added large print version of the statutory guidance.

  7. 11 April 2023

     Added 'Privacy information notice - piloting of offensive weapons homicide reviews'.

  8. 29 March 2023

     First published.

Applies to England and Wales

Documents

Offensive weapons homicide reviews: statutory guidance (accessible version)

Ref: ISBN 978-1-5286-3968-2

HTML

Offensive weapons homicide reviews: statutory guidance

Ref: ISBN 978-1-5286-3968-2

PDF, 19.7 MB, 120 pages

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Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Offensive weapons homicide reviews: statutory guidance (print-ready PDF)

Ref: ISBN 978-1-5286-3968-2

PDF, 19.7 MB, 120 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Offensive weapons homicide reviews: statutory guidance (large print)

Ref: ISBN 978-1-5286-3968-2

PDF, 6.71 MB, 254 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

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Adolygiadau Lladd gydag Arfau Ymosodol: canllaw statudol (accessible)

Ref: ISBN 978-1-5286-3968-2

HTML

Adolygiadau Lladd gydag Arfau Ymosodol: canllaw statudol

Ref: ISBN 978-1-5286-3968-2

PDF, 1.33 MB, 124 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 introduced a requirement on the police and local authorities in England and Wales and integrated care boards in England and local health boards in Wales, to review the circumstances of certain homicides where:

• the victim was aged 18 or over
• the events surrounding their death involved, or were likely to have involved, the use of an offensive weapon

The purpose of these reviews is to ensure that when a qualifying homicide takes place, local partners:

• identify the lessons to be learnt from the death
• consider whether any action should be taken as a result
• share the outcome

The intention is that these reviews will improve the national and local understanding of what causes homicide and serious violence, better equipping services to prevent weapons-enabled homicides.

The reviews are being piloted in certain areas of London and the West Midlands, and in South Wales.