On 20 September 2022, NSW introduced “no body no parole” laws, and this bill means offenders must cooperate with investigators and disclose the location of bodily remains for any chance of release on parole. As expressed by Mr Perrottet, this proposed bill would prevent offenders from getting the chance to receive parole if they refused to disclose information about the victim’s remains, providing incentives to speak. This law came about after Chris Dawson’s murder conviction of Lynette Dawson, whose remains have yet to be found.
Parole is the conditional early release of prisoners to be able to serve a part of their sentence in the community. Parole recognises that aims of rehabilitation may be best served by providing opportunities for prisoners to transition back into the community. A case study to assess the effectiveness of ‘no body’ laws can be used through the Queensland’s “no body, no parole” laws which were passed in 2017. A successful example can be seen through the case of Graeme Evans, who was convicted of manslaughter over the death of his former partner Leeann Lapham which compelled him to plead guilty to the offence. The new “no body, no parole” laws would ensure that the offender in prisoner would deeply evaluate their options before they refuse to cooperate with the police.
This law being put into effect would help the families of the victims to attain assurance about the location of their loved ones. This is also dubbed as “Lyn’s Law” which was a reform that hoped to end the torment of loved ones. This petition started on September 12, 2022 and reached 30,000 signatures in seven days. In prison right now, there are estimated to be 6 murderers who could be affected by the proposed changes.
Once this legislation is passed, NSW would be able to be up to speed with the laws from other states, including Queensland, WA, SA, Victoria and the Northern Territory where offenders can be refused parole if they refuse to disclose their victims’ remains.
If you or someone you know wish to discuss this issue further, then please do not hesitate to contact us on 02 8999 9809.