Scottish Ministers have set the operational timetable for the Criminal Justice Modernisation and Abusive Domestic Behaviour Reviews (Scotland) Act 2025. The first commencement instrument, SSI 2026/85, was published by the King’s Printer for Scotland on 16 February 2026 and confirms enabling provisions from 26 February, with Part 2 (domestic homicide and suicide reviews) commencing on 1 April 2026. (tsoshop.co.uk)
From 26 February 2026, the Regulations switch on provisions needed to stand up the review system before go‑live. According to the instrument, these include full commencement of the relevant review trigger in section 9, the ability for Ministers to appoint case review panel chairs, and the activation of regulation‑making powers to set detailed rules (for example on information handling and reporting). This staging allows appointments, training and secondary legislation to be in place ahead of April.
Part 2 applies from 1 April 2026 to qualifying deaths occurring on or after that date. In practice, this means earlier deaths will not be eligible for a statutory domestic homicide or suicide review under the new regime. Government material on the model confirms the 1 April start date for reviews. (gov.scot)
The Act defines two reviewable categories. A “domestic abuse death” covers, among other scenarios, a partner or ex‑partner killing, domestic abuse‑related suicide where abusive behaviour was a contributing factor, and cases of violent resistance where a victim kills an abuser. For non‑partner relationships, it also includes deaths of a perpetrator’s child, a partner’s child, or a young person in the same household where there is a background of abuse between adults. These definitions are drawn from section 12 of the 2025 Act and explained in the Scottish Government’s draft statutory guidance. (gov.scot)
A “connected death of a young person” captures fatalities during the same incident as a domestic abuse death, including where the intended target survives. It does not include a young person’s suicide. The model also allows a review to consider the perpetrator’s suicide where linked to a review of the primary victim. (gov.scot)
Governance is two‑tiered. A Review Oversight Committee commissions and oversees reviews, while a Case Review Panel is convened for each case. The Scottish Parliament’s research service (SPICe) notes broad committee support for this structure, alongside emphasis on training for panel members and chairs and careful handling of anonymisation to avoid re‑traumatising families. (parliament.scot)
Implementation support is being finalised. The Scottish Government’s consultation on draft statutory guidance closed on 11 February 2026 and sets out roles across justice, health, social work, local government and the third sector. It confirms the anticipated 1 April 2026 commencement and explains that a high threshold of stakeholder support (around 90 percent) informed the initial scope, with flexibility for future expansion by regulations. (gov.scot)
For public bodies, the immediate task is readiness. With enabling powers live from 26 February, organisations have a short window to confirm appointments, data‑sharing arrangements and training before reviews begin. The Parliament’s official record confirms the Act received Royal Assent on 19 November 2025; the commencement instrument now moves the policy from statute to delivery. (parliament.scot)