Domestic Homicide Oversight Mechanism for the Criminal Justice System: Summary Report

Chantler, Khatidja ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9129-2560, Baker, Victoria, Heyes, Kim ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9029-545X and Gunby, Clare ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8428-6621 (2023) Domestic Homicide Oversight Mechanism for the Criminal Justice System: Summary Report. In: Domestic Homicide Oversight Mechanism: HALT study briefings. Research Report. Domestic Abuse Commissioner, London.

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Abstract

Introduction In England and Wales, criminal law responses to Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) have advanced significantly in the last fifteen years. However, despite an emphasis on criminalisation, concern remains around the ability of the Criminal Justice System to manage the needs of victims and secure convictions. The purpose of this work is to better understand the types of recommendations made in Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) and will help to inform the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s Domestic Homicide Oversight Mechanism for the Criminal Justice System. Study methods Forty-six DHRs published between 2017-2019 comprised the sample for analysis. Our mixed methods approach comprised a qualitative template to identify examples of good practice, areas for development and learning, and to analyse recommendations made in relation to the Criminal Justice System. After extraction, a thematic approach was used. A quantitative matrix was developed based on the qualitative themes and subthemes, identifying the most prevalent recommendation types, any specific recommendations related to protected characteristics, and the targets of those recommendations within Criminal Justice services. An additional descriptive analysis of quantitative data already collected on the DHRs within the HALT study provided an overview of characteristics.