Under the new laws, murderers can be forced to stand trial for sentencing

Murderers could be forced to stand trial or face longer prison terms under new legislation proposed by the justice minister Dominic Raab.

After meeting with the family of Elena Zarawhose killer was legally allowed not to attend the sentencing hearing, Mr. Raab said he hoped to secure longer prison terms for the killers if they chose to skip trial in the future.

Ms Elena, a 35-year-old novice lawyer, was sexually assaulted and murdered by Jordan McSweeney as she walked home to Ilfordthe east LondonOn June 26 last year, a few days after his release from prison.

On Thursday, Ms Elena’s aunt Farah Naz met Mr Raab, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, as well as Ilford South Labor MP Sam Terry.

In a statement after the meeting, Mr. Raab said Ministry of Justice (Justice) is “carefully considering” changing the law so that the accused can no longer “hide” from hearings.

He said: “This was a heinous crime and we apologize unreservedly to the family of Zara Aleena for the unacceptable mistakes in this case.

“The accused, who are hiding from justice, can prolong the suffering of the victims.

“That’s why we’re looking hard at changing the law to make offenders attend sentencing – making sure they’re held accountable for their actions and victims can see that justice is served.”

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Raab also said the presence of convicts at sentencing hearings was “the least victims deserve” and “a fundamental principle of British justice”.

He added that he was considering giving judges the power to impose longer terms on those who refuse to appear.

Ms Naz said McSweeney’s absence from the sentencing hearing was a “slap in the face” for her family.

She told the BBC: “He should have looked at our faces and realized he didn’t just kill Zara, he killed a whole family.”