People should have the automatic right to a victim impact statement in court, Fine Gael justice spokesman Charlie Flanagan claimed today.
Mr Flanagan made his comments following the Siobhan Kearney murder trial where her family were not allowed to read a prepared statement to the court.
Mr Justice Barry White refused a request by the McLaughlin family to read the statement, saying the executive had provided for victim impact statements in some cases but that murder was not one of them.
The family instead chose to read the statement to the assembled media outside the courthouse.
Mr Flanagan said: "Although the family was still able to express their satisfaction with the verdict and to express their grief at their loss, they were nevertheless denied a voice in court.
"This is unfair and only serves to further alienate victims or their families from the legal process," he added.
Later this year Fine Gael are due to bring a Victim's Rights Bill before the Dáil that will include an automatic right for victims or their families to give a victim impact statement to the court.