Marshalled List of Amendments

Monday 28 September 2020

24 September 2020

Private Members’ Business

Item 3: Order Paper 44/17-22 – Monday 28 September 2020

Motion: Introduction of Legislation Equivalent to Helen's Law

Proposed:

That this Assembly recognises the ongoing pain and trauma experienced by families in Northern Ireland whose loved ones have been murdered and who continue to have no knowledge of the whereabouts of their remains; welcomes the progression in the UK Houses of Parliament of the Prisoners (Disclosure of Information About Victims) Bill, otherwise known as Helen’s Law, placing a statutory obligation on the Parole Board to take into account an offender's non-disclosure of such information when making a decision about their release from prison; notes that these obligations apply to prisoners serving a sentence for murder or manslaughter, or for taking or making an indecent photograph of a child; and calls on the Minister of Justice to introduce urgently equivalent legislation in Northern Ireland to ensure that prisoners convicted of murder and child sex offences are not eligible for release until they disclose the location of their victims' remains or the identity of their victims.

Mr Alex Easton

Mr Paul Givan

The Speaker has selected the following Amendment for debate:

Leave out all after the first ‘child’ and insert:

‘acknowledges that such matters are already routinely considered by the Parole Commissioners for Northern Ireland when assessing prisoners’ suitability for release on licence; and further welcomes that the Minister of Justice has already commissioned a focused consultation with key stakeholders on Helen's Law, to run in parallel with finalising the outcome and next steps flowing from the Sentencing Review, including legislation where appropriate.’

[Ms Kellie Armstrong]

[Ms Paula Bradshaw]