Sydney siege victims' bodies returned to families

The bodies of Sydney hostage siege victims, lawyer Katrina Dawson and cafe manager Tori Johnson, have been returned to their families.

The families began organizing the funerals on Friday and they are expected to be held before Christmas Day next week.

Tori Johnson's will be held on Tuesday in Sydney's eastern suburbs, news.com.au reported.

The NSW Coroner's Office expedited the autopsies so the grieving families could have their loved ones back as soon as possible. They were returned to their care late on Thursday evening.

Earlier on Thursday evening Tori Johnson's father Ken and members of Dawson's family met with religious and community leaders at another memorial service.

Johnson senior said his family was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from so many Sydney people.

"I think Australia is trying to pave a way for tolerance," he told the Nine News.

"We get on and that is what we want, and we want to keep that flow going. I want solidarity."

New South Wales (NSW) premier Mike Baird also announced a permanent memorial was being planned.

The body of hostage taker Man Haron Monis is expected to be released on Friday or Monday.

The Daily Telegraph reported the Muslim community remains outraged by what he had done.

Amin Sayed, funeral director with the Lebanese Muslim Association told The Daily Telegraph that "Nobody's going to his funeral. No Muslim funeral home will accept him."

Meanwhile, police are examining security footage from Seven News. The network's offices are directly opposite the Lindt Cafe, where the siege was held, and purportedly showed Monis walking up and down Martin Place more than 30 minutes before attacking the cafe.

On Friday the NSW Bar Association president Jane Needham also told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio that the magistrate who granted Monis bail while on accessory to murder charges had received death threats since the siege.

Lawyers who previously represented Monis have also been subjected to personal attacks. She said this was "wrong-headed."

"The jobs of the judiciary are very difficult, they're very complex and magistrates in particular deal with many cases which come before them, and they have to make their decisions on the basis of what is before them at the time and the operation of the law," Needham said.

"As to the lawyers, it's very important to remember that lawyers are just doing their job."

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