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Summary Notes on Helen's Law
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These are notes on how Helen's Law came about, which is a key law for law and ethics in journalism
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Helen’s LawLaws have come into place to make it harder for killers to get parole if they refuse to reveal
where they hid the victims bodies. This law is also in place for paedophiles who refuse to
reveal who they abused.
Named after Helen McCourt’s murder case, where she vanished on her way home
from work in 1988
McCourt’s murderer, Ian Simms was released despite not disclosing where the body
was
Her mother, Marie McCourt, spent 5 years calling the legislation before it became
mandatory in November
Under this law a killer could still be released if no longer deemed a risk to the public
even if they refuse to disclose information, but the parole board will have to consider
whether they can apply for parole.
The campaign was an effort to change the law for criminals so that it was harder for
them to receive rights in certain statutes and they were successful with the outcome
after campaigning for so long.
Helen McCourt’s killer has now been released and is now free after they lost a legal
bid in court in 2020 where the parole board refused to postpone his release.
The case has received a lot of coverage in the news which has led to a lot of people
being disappointed following the recent events of Ian Simms being released.
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