Last week Chris Dawson was found guilty of murder. This week Lyn's family want to change the law.

Listen to this story being read by Gemma Bath, here.

For Lynette Dawson's niece Renee Simms, news of Chris Dawson's guilty verdict is only just starting to sink in a week after he was convicted in the NSW Supreme Court of murdering his wife in 1982. 

She's rewatched the judge's final line again and again and again, just to make sure of Justice Ian Harrison's words.

"Christopher Michael Dawson on the charge that you did murder Lynette Dawson, I find you guilty," the court was told after a five-hour long judgement. 

Renee has no memory of hearing Justice Harrison say it in the courtroom, where she sat a mere metre away from the man who murdered her loved one. 

That day is now a blur.

Here's Renee speaking to The Project after the verdict. Post continues after video.

This verdict has been 40 years in the making, with her family tirelessly fighting for justice for the young mother, nurse and childcare worker who seemingly 'vanished' into thin air from her life and home on Sydney's northern beaches. 

Now, finally, her murderer is behind bars. But they take no glee in that.

"It's not exciting. We take no joy in watching him be taken away and put in handcuffs. There's no real winners. We don't win, we don't get Lyn back. The Dawson side of the family didn't win. It's a really strange emotion," she told Mamamia.

They had walked into that courtroom on Tuesday, unsure of what they would hear. So when 'guilty' was read out, it hit them like a wave.

"As a family, we weren't willing to get too far ahead of ourselves, so until the word guilty was said we just weren't willing to go either way."

Chris Dawson entering court for his sentencing last week. Image: AAP/Dean Lewis. 

But now, as they wait for Dawson's sentencing in November, they've got a new fight.

It was only after they left courtroom 13A and gathered for a toast to Lyn with a small group of people who'd been close to the case, that talk of sentencing came up. 

It was brought to the family's attention that in Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory there's a 'no body, no parole' policy for murderers. 

But in New South Wales, there's no such law. While the Parole Authority is tasked with considering it as a factor in their determination, there's no strict or definite rule. 

"Until that point we hadn't even realised that was necessarily even a thing," Renee said. 

"We all thought it was quite important, because while we may never find out where Lyn is - and I feel like we wholeheartedly believe unfortunately that will be the case. You just never know unless you have that carrot to dangle." 

For Lyn's family, it feels like a no-brainer. A simple law to have in place as an incentive for people to come clean about their victim's final resting place. 

For 40 years, Dawson poisoned the memory of Lyn as someone who deserted her daughters and family and simply "went away."

They might have the truth now, but as Lyn's brother and Renee's father, Greg Simms, said outside court, "the journey is not complete. She's still missing. We still need to bring her home."

In a plea to Dawson himself, Greg asked the 74-year-old to "find it in himself to allow us to bring her home for a peaceful rest. Finally, showing [her the] dignity she deserves."

Right now all they have by way of a place to be close to Lyn is a memorial seat erected at Clovelly beach, opposite the house she grew up in.

As the change.org petition calling for this proposed law change states: "Lyn's family have battled for years to clear her name and have her truth told, but the closure they need would come from being able to put her to rest properly, and they are not alone. There are many other families out there also waiting for their loved ones to come home."

They want to call it 'Lyn's Law' and their hope is for it to be national so that all states and territories in Australia can benefit. 

Last week, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said he was consulting Attorney-General Mark Speakman in relation to the law.

"It certainly makes sense, it wouldn’t be a unique approach it’s already the approach that’s taken in other jurisdictions. It’s currently a consideration that is made in relation to the granting of parole and it certainly makes sense to me," he told Sky News.

Once all the court proceedings are done, and hopefully Lyn's Law is in place, Renee and her family are looking forward to retreating back into the shadows. 

They are a quiet, private family who something horrible happened too. All they want is to get back to a place of anonymity. 

But as Renee told Mamamia, "If this wasn't our situation no one would know us and we'd be very happy with that...but while we do have this platform, we want to push for this sort of stuff to happen." 

For them, finding Lyn's body is the final puzzle piece. 

If you'd like to sign the petition calling for Lyn's Law, you can find it here.

Feature image: AAP/Dean Lewis/ABC/NSW Police/Australian Story.

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