A NEW bill that family believe could have prevented the death of East Lancashire nurse Jane Clough is to be debated in Parliament.
Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson has submitted the 10-minute rule bill after talks with Jane’s parents John and Penny Clough, of Barrowford.
The bill calls on the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to be given the right to appeal if a judge bails an offender it believes to be dangerous.
Mr and Mrs Clough lobbied to discover why Jane’s killer, ex-paramedic Jonathan Vass, was freed on bail despite being charged with raping her.
Vass went on to murder Jane in a horrific attack in the grounds of Blackpool Victoria Hospital where she worked.
Mr Stephenson said: “If the bill had been introduced before and had become law, when the judge decided to grant Vass bail, the CPS could have said hang on and appealed the decision.
“There was no right for Jane’s family or the CPS to say this person is a danger and shouldn’t be allowed out.”
Mr Stephenson will present the bill in the House of Commons for 10 minutes on June 28. Mr and Mrs Clough and around 15 other friends and family of Jane will travel down to London on the day.
He said: “We have worked very closely with Jane’s parents on this and they have backed it. They are very keen to see this change in the law.
“They have been remarkable since Jane’s murder and want to see not only justice for Jane, but justice for all the other possible Jane’s out there.
“Had Vass not been given bail he could have kept appealing but the prosecution have no right of appeal. It is about fairness.
“This is long overdue and over 30 MPs have already written to me to agree with it.”
Mr Stephenson said the bill was unlikely to be taken on as very few private members bill become law.
But he said he hoped it would help raise the profile of the issue, leading to it eventually being taken up the Government.
“This is the first step in making people aware and highlighting the issue,” he added.
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