00:00In the blink of an eye, he was gone.
00:05These are the words Jen Edwards wanted to say in court to the driver who ran over her son Jason two years ago.
00:12But because the driver was convicted of driving without due care,
00:16the magistrate found the charge didn't directly relate to Jason Edwards' death.
00:21It meant the family wasn't able to read their victim impact statements in court.
00:26Everybody has a right to express their grief,
00:29and to let the other side know their grief and their trauma that they're going through.
00:36I don't think it's very fair that someone can make that decision for you,
00:43being the victim that he's left behind.
00:46The legal barrier the Edwards family faced caught the attention of an upper house politician.
00:51It's actually a loophole that we genuinely, I think as a parliament, didn't think existed.
00:57And I know that my discussions initially with the government were this never should have happened.
01:03Under current laws, magistrates decide if victims can give impact statements in court,
01:08but only when a person's suffering, injury or loss is a direct result of an offence.
01:13Connie Benares is now pushing for parliament to amend that,
01:17meaning families like the Edwards would have their say.
01:20Regardless of whether there is a direct connection with the commission of an offence,
01:27a family or a victim will be able to provide a victim impact statement to the court.
01:33Connie Benares says there's support from all sides of politics for her amendment to the Sentencing Act,
01:39and it's expected to pass parliament this month.
01:42I think this is one of those days in parliament where we all come together
01:46and I suppose appreciate the real life impacts that our laws have on families.
01:52It's a change the Edwards family says Jason would be proud of.
01:56Good on you mum. He'd be screaming how fabulous he would be. And he is. He is.
02:05A legacy leaving an impact for victims.
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