The New South Wales government has passed laws to make it impossible for convicted murderers to be released on parole if they refuse to cooperate and reveal the location of victims' remains.

The "no body no parole" laws passed through the state parliament on Thursday.

"Families deserve the dignity of saying their final goodbyes and we must do all we can to demand offenders give up their secrets and bring some closure to families and friends of victims," Premier Dominic Perrottet said.

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"These laws mean inmates convicted of a homicide offence who choose not to cooperate with police to locate their victims will not be given parole."

The announcement comes a month after former Sydney teacher Chris Dawson was found guilty of murdering his wife Lynette in 1982.

The high-profile case reignited the discussion as Dawson's wife Lynette has never been found.

Under the new laws, the State Parole Authority must have written evidence from the police commissioner to determine whether an offender has cooperated and revealed the location of the victim's body.

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Police Minister Paul Toole said the new laws should encourage offenders to cooperate.

"The families of victims deserve the chance to lay to rest their loved one in an appropriate way, especially given the pain and heartache they have already endured," Toole said.

Corrections Minister Geoff Lee said the legislation is about doing right by families and bringing them closure.

"The law is just and it is fair and it gives victims dignity and respect," he said.

"No body, no parole" laws are already in place in other states and territories including Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

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Journalists across Nine have received almost two dozen nominations as the finalists for the annual Walkley Awards are announced.

Released today, the list of nominees includes journalists from 9News as well as Nine publications The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and 60 Minutes.

The annual award ceremony honours excellence in journalism and in 2022 is marking its 67th year.

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Nominees include Tom Steinfort and Kate McClymont for "Liar Liar: Melissa Caddick and the Missing Millions", The Sydney Morning Herald's Peter Hartcher for "Radioactive: Inside the top-secret AUKUS subs deal" and 60 Minutes' Nick McKenzie, Joel Tozer, Amelia Ballinger for "Star and the gambling industry's reckoning".

McKenzie, Tozer and Ballinger are also up for the Investigative Journalism award for "The downfall of the gaming industry".

9News Europe correspondent Carrie-Anne Greenbank was nominated in the Television/Video News Reporting category for her coverage of the war in Ukraine.

Christine Ahern and Thea Dikeos from 60 Minutes are up for Television/Video Current Affairs Short (Less than 20 Minutes) for "Dying for help".

Adele Ferguson, Klaus Toft and Lauren Day from The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and the ABC's Four Corners are nominated in Television/Video Current Affairs Short (More than 20 Minutes) for "Cosmetic Cowboys: The unregulated world of cosmetic surgery", while that trio plus Joel Tozer are nominated in the Investigative Journalism category for "Cosmetic Surgery in Crisis".

NBN News cameraman Ryan Grimshaw was nominated for his footage of the NSW floods in Television/Video: Camerawork.

The Age's Melissa Cunningham was nominated for "The Melbourne ICU where the unvaccinated die in disbelief" in the Best Print/Text News Report, as were McKenzie, Tozer and Aisha Dow for "Triple-zero crisis".

Nine's Matt Golding was nominated for in the Cartoon category for "Voice to Parliament".

Craig Butt and Concussion Project Team from The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald were nominated in the Sports Journalism category for "Concussion in sport".

Mark Stehle and the Journey Through Ukraine team were nominated in the Production category for "6000km journey" in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

Bevan Shields from The Sydney Morning Herald is up for Scoop of The Year for "I don't think, I know", his question to French President Emmanuel Macron on whether he thought Scott Morrison had lied to him.

For Coverage of a Major Event or Issue, Nine had two of the three nominees: Anthony Galloway and Kate Geraghty for "The Invasion of Ukraine" in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age; and Heath Gilmore and the "Hell on High Water" team from The Sydney Morning Herald.

Sarah Danckert for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald is nominated in the Business Journalism category for "Secrets at Stake.com".

In the Commentary, Analysis, Opinion and Critique section, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age's Jacqueline Maley is nominated for "When Power Shifts".

Nine's photographers Chris Hopkins, Brook Mitchell and Kate Geraghty are also up for coveted Walkley awards. 

See the full list of nominees here. 

"Our hearty congratulations to this impressive array of finalists who have risen to the top in hotly-contested categories in a big year for news and current affairs," Shona Martyn, CEO of the Walkley Foundation, said.

"This is work that makes a difference, that creates change, holds the powerful to account and holds a mirror up to our nation and its culture and our world."

The 2022 finalists exemplify the best of Australian journalism from writers, photographers, cartoonists, production teams and documentary makers."

The Walkley Award winners will be announced in Sydney on November 17.

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Who actually introduced COVID-19 onto the Ruby Princess has become a key sticking point in the class action over the outbreak that claimed 28 lives.

The companies operating the cruise have asked the plaintiff's lawyers to prove where the outbreak came from – whether it was a passenger or a member of the crew.

David McLure SC, for Carnival and Princess Cruise Lines, said they disputed the allegation the primary source of the infection was a crew member.

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The Ruby Princess sailed from Sydney Harbour for New Zealand on March 8, 2020, and returned 11 days later having cut the cruise short when Australia's borders were closed in the early days of the pandemic.

In chaotic scenes on its arrival, coughing and spluttering passengers could be seen leaving the ship, desperate to get home.

It's believed 663 of the 1679 Australians on board went on to develop COVID-19.

McLure said the plaintiff's case was the outbreak came from a crew member, held over from a previous Ruby Princess cruise that docked on the morning of March 8, in which several people were seen with COVID-19 or flu-like symptoms.

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But he said testing of those passengers did not reveal influenza or COVID-19, which he said the plaintiff incorrectly argued should be interpreted as COVID-19 cases.

"The respondent's experts say … there was a small, well-managed influenza outbreak," he told the Federal Court on Thursday.

"That view is supported in part by the fact NSW Health undertook nine COVID swabs, all of which returned negative results."

Ian Pike SC, for lead plaintiff Susan Karpik, said the cruise line's demand at this late stage for the plaintiff to prove where the outbreak came from was too prejudicial.

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The onus, he said, should not be on the plaintiff to prove how COVID-19 got on the ship.

"It can't be allowed to be introduced now," he said.

Otherwise, he would seek an adjournment to prepare.

Karpik, who alleges she and her husband of 50 years, Henry, caught COVID-19 on the cruise, is suing the cruise line for damages.

She alleges the line failed in its duty to take reasonable care of the passengers.

Karpik had been on eight previous cruises, and Pike said she signed up because she trusted the cruise line to look after her.

"Why did she go on the ninth? Because she thought it was safe," he said.

The case continues.

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