Under the proposed legislation someone convicted of murder or manslaughter would be entitled only to their share of the property, a value which would be determined by a court.
The Government has published legislation which would make it impossible for murderers to inherit the property of their victims.
The proposed legislation clarifies the law around succession and will prevent a person convicted of murder inheriting a share of any estate, pension or life insurance policy belonging to the deceased.
The Bill applied to those convicted of murder, attempted murder and manslaughter but not to other offences leading to death, such as dangerous driving.
At present, under the Succession Act 1965, a person may not inherit any part of the estate of someone whom he or she has murdered, attempted to murder or killed by manslaughter.
However, an anomaly in the law arises in cases where the killer and victim share joint tenancy over a property. As the law stands, under the right of survivorship, a convicted killer is entitled to the full value of the property in such circumstances.
Source: Irish Times
