Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2019-21: Part 2- Prevention, investigation and prosecution of crime

Part 2 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (the Bill) is divided into four Chapters:

Part 2, Chapter 1 would introduce a new legal duty requiring local public services to work together in “Serious Violence Partnerships” to tackle serious violence. It would also amend provisions in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 so that existing Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) are required to consider “serious violence” when making their strategies to combat local crime and disorder.

The last Conservative Government committed to introducing this legislation in its response to the 2019 consultation Serious violence: new legal duty to support multi-agency action. The current Conservative Government promised to introduce this legislation in the 2019 Queen’s Speech.

Part 2, Chapter 2 would require police, local authorities and Clinical Commissioning Groups (public health boards in Wales) to conduct Offensive Weapon Homicide Reviews when an adult’s death involves the use of an offensive weapon.

Offensive Weapon Homicide Reviews would be similar to Domestic Homicide Reviews. DHRs are carried out when an adult dies as a result of domestic violence, abuse or neglect.

The Government has been committed to “take action” to address homicide, but has not previously committed to introduce Offensive Weapon Homicide Reviews specifically.

Part 2, Chapter 3 would introduce a new statutory framework for the extraction of information from electronic devices for the purposes of certain investigations.

Part 2, Chapter 4 contains various other provisions including amendments to pre-charge bail, sex offences (including positions of trust), criminal damage to memorials, Overseas Production Orders, police powers to take photographs, search warrants relating to human remains, and the role of prisoner custody officers in live link hearings at police stations.