A new law for tougher sentences for killers who refuse to disclose the location of their victims’ remains is set to be a priority for Justice Minister Naomi Long.
The proposed Charlotte’s Law is named for murder victim Charlotte Murray, 34, from Co Tyrone whose remains have never been found despite searches.
Her former fiance John Miller, 53, a chef from Redford Park in Dungannon, Co Tyrone, was found guilty of her murder by a jury at Dungannon Crown Court in 2019.
He was given a life sentence with a minimum tariff of 16 years to serve.
Ms Long said her department is reviewing the provisions made in Helen’s Law in England, and looking at how they can develop their own legislation to press killers to give up the location of their victims’ remains.
Her officials are working with both Ms Murray’s family, and also the family of Lisa Dorrian, 25, from Bangor, Co Down who disappeared in 2005.
No-one has ever been convicted over Ms Dorrian’s killing, and her remains have never been found despite extensive searches.
“We recognise that simply saying that the parole commissioners will factor in ongoing failure to disclose into their considerations really is quite far towards the end of the process – by then a prisoner has already served their tariff,” she told BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme.
“What we have tried to do with the families in working through this was find ways that we could incentivise at the earliest stages the ability to encourage people to come forward and to give up that information that would allow families to recover remains and allow them to give a decent burial to their loved ones.”
Ms Long said the purpose of the legislation is to try to “bring some relief to families who at the moment do not know where their loved ones are”.
“The issue isn’t about them (the prisoners) getting out early, it is about the fact that this would be an aggravating factor, not disclosing where the body is being an aggravating factor and increases the sentence,” she said.
“Once that is addressed in terms of someone making that disclosure which leads to the finding of remains then they are simply serving the term for the murder itself and not the aggravator of not telling the families, and I think that is an important principle, because what we’re not trying to do is in some way lessen the punishment.”
Ms Long said she intended to bring the legislation forward as part of a sentencing bill before the next Assembly election, scheduled to take place before April 2027.