At the time, Dominic Raab, the Justice Secretary, said he was “carefully” considering whether to appeal against the decision.

He described Causley as a “calculated killer” who “callously prolonged the suffering” of Ms Packman’s loved ones by “refusing to reveal the whereabouts of her body”.

But on Tuesday, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) confirmed it would not ask the Parole Board to reconsider the ruling because there were no grounds to do so.

A MoJ spokeswoman said: “We have thoroughly examined the Parole Board’s decision but detailed legal advice concluded there were no grounds to ask them to reconsider their decision.

“We know this will be incredibly difficult for Carole Packman’s family, but Russell Causley will be under close supervision for the rest of his life and can be recalled to prison if he breaches the strict conditions of his release.

“Our parole reforms will stand up for the rights of victims in cases like this, making public safety the overriding factor in parole decisions and adding a ministerial veto on release of the most serious offenders.”