New laws prompted by Chris Dawson murder trial
New South Wales is set to introduce new laws making it "impossible" for convicted murders to be released on parole if they refuse to reveal where the bodies of their victims are located.
The proposed "no body, no parole" law comes as Chris Dawson was convicted of his wife's murder last month, which happened in 1982. The issue gained attention as soon as the high-profile case gained heavy media coverage – yet the body of Lynette Dawson was never found.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the government's proposed bill would mean offenders must co-operate with investigators and disclose the location of remains for any chance of release on parole.
"We will make it impossible for offenders who willfully and deliberately refuse to disclose information about their victim's remains, to be granted parole," Mr Perrottet said.
"Being unable to locate a loved one's body is extremely distressing and traumatic for the families and friends of victims and it denies a victim the dignity of being laid to rest appropriately.
"These laws are to stop inmates convicted of murder or homicide offences from getting parole unless they co-operate with police to end the torment of families and return to them the remains of their loved ones."
"No body, no parole" laws are already in place in other states and territories including Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Under the proposed laws, the State Parole Authority (SPA) must not grant parole unless it decides the offender has cooperated in identifying the victim's location. Once the law has passed, it would apply to all current and future inmates in NSW.
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