The family of murdered Bayview mother-of-two Lyn Dawson have welcomed the ‘no body, no parole’ law.
The disappearance of 33-year-old Lynette ‘Lyn’ Joy Dawson (nee Simms) in early January 1982 and the subsequent 40-year cold case investigation gripped Australia. On 30 August 2022, her husband Christopher ‘Chris’ Michael Dawson was found guilty of her murder.
Three months later (02 December 2022), Chris Dawson was handed down a maximum gaol sentence of 24 years with a non-parole period of 18 years for the murder of Lynette Dawson (nee Simms) in 1982. Despite the conviction, her body was never found and Chris Dawson has continued to appeal the decision.
In the wake of the conviction, her family campaigned for a change to NSW laws to introduce ‘no body, no parole’ rules in line with those already in place in other state jurisdictions.
NSW Parliament passed the amendment in October 2022 to prevent the parole of any person convicted of murder, where they refuse to cooperate in the location of the victim’s remains.
Earlier this month (08 May 2024), the NSW Parliament passed a motion to name the amendment ‘Lyn’s Law’. Lyn’s brother Greg Simms (image below, right) said the result was a culmination of a decades long fight on behalf of his sister.
“Lyn’s family fought for decades to honour the slain mother with meaningful reform. Lyn Simms’s story led to sweeping changes in the NSW justice system, with ‘no body, no parole’ reform ensuring offenders would never be granted parole if they refused to supply details of their victim’s remains whereabouts. The reform was passed in October 2022.
“Representations were made to the Labor Government to call the ‘no body, no parole’ laws, ‘Lyn’s Law’. I approached my local member, Jodie Harrison, who approached the NSW Attorney General Michael Daley and his office forwarded it to the Minister for Corrective Services for attention,” said Mr Simms.
“I hit a dead end until I was introduced by a lifelong mate of mine to MLC Robert Borsak (image above, left), Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party. On Wednesday 8th May 2024, MLC Robert Borsak moved that the NSW Parliament recognise the ‘no body, no parole’ laws as ‘Lyn’s Law’.
“Myself (image above, right), my wife Merilyn (image above, centre), my daughter Renee, Lyn’s nephew David Jenkins and our supporters were present for the recognition of the case’s key role in the laws coming into force.
“The motion received bi-partisan support from the Labor Government and the Liberal-National opposition and the upper house passed the motion agreeing to call the laws ‘Lyn’s Law’, forever etching Lyn’s legacy into the reform,” said Mr Simms.
Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party MLC Robert Borsak called on Chris Dawson to cooperate and allow Lyn’s family to put her to rest, but said she would be remembered in law regardless.
“This is only a small consolation. We would call on Mr Dawson to please do the right thing and tell us where poor Lyn is buried. If Chris Dawson does not give up where Lyn’s body is, her memory will always be remembered in ‘Lyn’s Law’,” said Mr Borsak.
Following the successful motion, the Simms family were presented with a copy of the draft ‘Lyn’s Law’ at Parliament House (image above). 75-year-old Chris Dawson has refused to accept the guilty verdict, this month launching an appeal against his murder conviction. He remains incarcerated at Long Bay Correctional Complex at Malabar, NSW.
Images: Envato, Greg Simms
What did you miss this week?
Get the week's news delivered free to your inbox every Saturday. Subscribe to our free email newsletter.
