'No body, no parole' reform passes NSW Parliament

Thursday, 13 October 2022

Tough new ‘no body no parole’ laws have been passed by the NSW Parliament meaning offenders who refuse to cooperate with authorities to reveal the location of the remains of their victims will not be granted parole.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the reforms ensure the rights and needs of victims’ families are front and centre.

“Families deserve the dignity of saying their final goodbyes and we must do all we can to demand offenders give up their secrets and bring some closure to families and friends of victims,” Mr Perrottet said.

“These laws mean inmates convicted of a homicide offence who choose not to cooperate with police to locate their victims will not be given parole.”

Under the new laws, the State Parole Authority (SPA) must have regard to written advice from the Commissioner of NSW Police when determining whether an offender has cooperated satisfactorily to identify a victim’s location..

The ‘no body, no parole’ legislation - modelled on laws in other Australian jurisdictions including Queensland and Victoria – will apply to all current and future offenders in order to include convicted offenders not yet considered for parole.

NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Police Paul Toole said he hoped the new law would encourage offenders to finally cooperate with police.

“The families of victims deserve the chance to lay to rest their loved one in an appropropriate way, especially given the pain and heartache they have already endured,” Mr Toole said.

“If offenders fail to take steps to provide details on the whereabouts of a victim’s remains, they will not be eligible for parole.”

Minister for Corrections Geoff Lee said the new legislation is about doing right by families and bringing them closure.

"This legislation will help the families and friends of victims get the closure that they deserve," said Dr Lee.

"The law is just and it is fair and it gives victims dignity and respect.”