Post by Anja Nieser on Sept 8, 2006 1:09:31 GMT -5
Transcript----This is a transcript from The World Today. The program is
broadcast around Australia at 12:10pm on ABC Local Radio.
Australian QC to represent death row prisoners in Indonesia
Reporter: Josie Taylor
ELEANOR HALL: Australian Queens Counsel Lex Lasry just arrived in Jakarta
in his bid to save two of the condemned Australians.
The high profile barrister, who represented the Australian man Van Nguyen,
executed in Singapore for drug trafficking late last year, is now acting
for death row prisoners Myuran Sukamaran, and Andrew Chan.
Lex Lasry has been speaking to Josie Taylor.
LEX LASRY: Well, we're here because we had a request for assistance from
the family, the family originally for Myuran Sukamaran, but we've also
agreed to do what we can in the case of Andrew Chan.
So we arrived in Jakarta last night with a view to looking at the options
that are available to them. And of course they're probably similar options
that have to be considered by the others who have been added to the list
for capital penalty.
JOSIE TAYLOR: And what options are you pursuing?
LEX LASRY: Well, as I gather has been said in the Australian press this
morning, judicial review is one option. There's also a constitutional
argument to be had about the constitutionality of the death penalty in
Indonesia and there is in this country a constitutional court that can
hear those kinds of arguments so we'll be looking at that as well.
JOSIE TAYLOR: You of course, have had experience in this sort of case
after the Van Nguyen case in Singapore that was unsuccessful. Do you have
better hopes for these cases?
LEX LASRY: Too early to tell, Josie. We've been involved in this matter
for a little while but some of the developments in the last few days were
somewhat unexpected and I think it's quite a different case from the Van
Nguyen case, although of course the principles are the same.
And the critical thing from our point of view is to ensure that the
Australian Government is supporting these now 6 at every inch of the way
and we'd also be anxious for the Government to have a very strong and
uniform policy on capital punishment.
JOSIE TAYLOR: Do you have any indication that that isn't the case?
LEX LASRY: No not at this stage. I'm simply suggesting that, you know,
that their attitude and their approach will obviously be very important
and hopefully we can speak to them fairly soon about how this will all
play out.
JOSIE TAYLOR: Do you have any concerns that the Indonesian Government may
have actually influenced the court's decision in imposing the death
penalty?
LEX LASRY: No, I don't know that that's happened and I certainly wouldn't
be asserting that.
JOSIE TAYLOR: You did have strong support from the Australian Government
in the Van Nguyen case. Do you believe that they will be equally as
supportive in these cases in Indonesia?
LEX LASRY: I certainly hope so. All the same reasons are there to provide
that support so I can't see any reason why they wouldn't be.
JOSIE TAYLOR: And what's the next step for you?
LEX LASRY: Well, we'll be talking to some people during the day today and
tomorrow and we're really just exploring the options at the moment.
JOSIE TAYLOR: And the mood of your clients? Have you actually had a chance
to speak to them?
LEX LASRY: No I haven't.
ELEANOR HALL: Australian QC Lex Lasry speaking from Jakarta to Josie
Taylor.
(source: The World Today)
broadcast around Australia at 12:10pm on ABC Local Radio.
Australian QC to represent death row prisoners in Indonesia
Reporter: Josie Taylor
ELEANOR HALL: Australian Queens Counsel Lex Lasry just arrived in Jakarta
in his bid to save two of the condemned Australians.
The high profile barrister, who represented the Australian man Van Nguyen,
executed in Singapore for drug trafficking late last year, is now acting
for death row prisoners Myuran Sukamaran, and Andrew Chan.
Lex Lasry has been speaking to Josie Taylor.
LEX LASRY: Well, we're here because we had a request for assistance from
the family, the family originally for Myuran Sukamaran, but we've also
agreed to do what we can in the case of Andrew Chan.
So we arrived in Jakarta last night with a view to looking at the options
that are available to them. And of course they're probably similar options
that have to be considered by the others who have been added to the list
for capital penalty.
JOSIE TAYLOR: And what options are you pursuing?
LEX LASRY: Well, as I gather has been said in the Australian press this
morning, judicial review is one option. There's also a constitutional
argument to be had about the constitutionality of the death penalty in
Indonesia and there is in this country a constitutional court that can
hear those kinds of arguments so we'll be looking at that as well.
JOSIE TAYLOR: You of course, have had experience in this sort of case
after the Van Nguyen case in Singapore that was unsuccessful. Do you have
better hopes for these cases?
LEX LASRY: Too early to tell, Josie. We've been involved in this matter
for a little while but some of the developments in the last few days were
somewhat unexpected and I think it's quite a different case from the Van
Nguyen case, although of course the principles are the same.
And the critical thing from our point of view is to ensure that the
Australian Government is supporting these now 6 at every inch of the way
and we'd also be anxious for the Government to have a very strong and
uniform policy on capital punishment.
JOSIE TAYLOR: Do you have any indication that that isn't the case?
LEX LASRY: No not at this stage. I'm simply suggesting that, you know,
that their attitude and their approach will obviously be very important
and hopefully we can speak to them fairly soon about how this will all
play out.
JOSIE TAYLOR: Do you have any concerns that the Indonesian Government may
have actually influenced the court's decision in imposing the death
penalty?
LEX LASRY: No, I don't know that that's happened and I certainly wouldn't
be asserting that.
JOSIE TAYLOR: You did have strong support from the Australian Government
in the Van Nguyen case. Do you believe that they will be equally as
supportive in these cases in Indonesia?
LEX LASRY: I certainly hope so. All the same reasons are there to provide
that support so I can't see any reason why they wouldn't be.
JOSIE TAYLOR: And what's the next step for you?
LEX LASRY: Well, we'll be talking to some people during the day today and
tomorrow and we're really just exploring the options at the moment.
JOSIE TAYLOR: And the mood of your clients? Have you actually had a chance
to speak to them?
LEX LASRY: No I haven't.
ELEANOR HALL: Australian QC Lex Lasry speaking from Jakarta to Josie
Taylor.
(source: The World Today)