Sir Robert Buckland KC has been appointed to lead an independent review to explore any missed opportunities that could have prevented the murder of Sir David Amess.
The Home Secretary has appointed Sir Robert Buckland KC, who was previously Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice and Solicitor General for England and Wales, as well as having a distinguished legal career as a barrister.
Sir Robert will now seek to meet with the Amess family in order to establish the terms of reference for the review.
Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said
Sir David Amess was a hugely respected parliamentarian, who served his constituents and country with distinction. His tragic murder casts a long shadow over all of us who serve as MPs.
I have met with the Amess family and admire their resilience amid such tragic circumstances. I have appointed Sir Robert Buckland KC, an eminent legal mind, to carry out an independent review and help the family seek the answers they need.
Sir Robert Buckland KC said
The horrific murder of Sir David Amess in October 2021 shook the entire nation. As someone who, like Sir David, held regular open surgeries in my constituency, and who had known and worked with him in Parliament for over a decade, it made a deep and profound personal impact that lives with me to this day.
I have accepted an invitation to conduct this independent review because I want to ensure that everything possible is done to fully identify the facts and circumstances that led up to this outrage, as Sir David’s family and all of us who care deeply about our parliamentary democracy rightly demand.
While this will be subject to agreement, it is expected that the terms of reference will seek to address any unanswered questions the Amess family have regarding the murder of Sir David Amess.
The reviewer will engage relevant experts and draw upon extant material from the trial of Sir David’s murderer and from reviews which have previously taken place, including the initial Prevent learning review and the Independent Prevent Commissioner’s review published in July 2025.
More details on the terms of reference will be published once established.