THE family of murdered schoolgirl Paige Doherty have praised a proposed parliamentary bill in her honour.

Gil Paterson MSP for Clydebank, where the teenager was brutally murdered in 2016, called for a change in the law regarding the procedure requiring a second post mortem examination in the case of murder victims.

The proposed bill aims to introduce a time-limit a second defence post mortem can take place to allow families to have their loved ones returned to them sooner.

Mum Pamela Munro, who worked with the SNP politician to produce the bill, told the Evening Times: “After being told the law in itself couldn’t stop a second post mortem we had to come up with something else and we decided to look at what other countries offered and follow them.

Read more: Move for Scots law change over post mortem delays after distress of family of murdered Paige Doherty

“When Paige passed away, we had to wait one month for her body to be released. This, for us, was horrific.

“We couldn’t go see her while she lay in the mortuary because we ran the risk of her body deteriorating to nothing so we made decision to leave her as long as we could.”

Tragically, due to the condition of Paige’s body when it arrived at the mortuary, the family were unable to have the open coffin they hoped for, meaning her eldest sibling Andrew Jr was unable to say his goodbyes.

Read more: Paige Doherty's family wins plea to cut waiting times to bury murder victims

It’s a situation which not only robbed a devastated family of their ability to mourn but, Pamela says, took away her daughter’s dignity.

She added: “This bill proposes to change that for families in the future.

“We need this shared everywhere because the government will only listen if we stand up and fight. I’m fighting this not for Paige and I now but for [everyone else] because I don’t want anyone to see what we saw or go through the process we did.”

The proposed bill, which is open to public consultation until April, is designed to not interfere with the defence’s case and allow for an extension order to be granted when needed.

Mr Paterson consulted with Police Scotland, forensic pathology experts, the Dean of the Faculty of Advocates and the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service over the past two years in order to launch the item.

Read more: Inside evil Paige Doherty killer’s Delicious Deli crime scene

He said: “This is an extremely complex issue which is why it has taken such a lot of work to arrive at this proposed change to legislation.

“It is in everyone’s interest that the right person is found guilty and no-one, least of all the families of victims, would want to see that interfered with. Obviously, it is an issue which needed careful thought and sensitivity never forgetting that I was working with very traumatised families and loved ones.

“However, I believe it is possible to protect the right to a fair trial while, at the same time, giving victims’ families greater certainty about when they will be able to hold a funeral for their loved ones.

“I’m dedicating this work to the memory of Paige Doherty and to her mother, Pamela Munro, and family.”