Bali nine lawyer confident judges will be independent

The lawyer for three members of the Bali nine says an opinion from three district court judges that rejects legal arguments against their death sentences is not critical to his clients' appeal.

The ABC has seen the judges' report, which will be presented to the Supreme Court before it makes its final decision.

The judges in Bali say that, in their opinion, the appeal by Mathew Norman, Si Yi Chen and Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen should be dismissed.

But their lawyer Erwin Siregar says that the Supreme Court judges do not have to take the opinion into account.

He says it is not good news for his clients, but the Supreme Court is totally independent.

"The judges' court, when they make a decision, nobody can influence them," he said.

"They are free to make a decision."

Three other members of the Bali nine on death row have chosen to launch a constitutional challenge rather than to go directly to the Supreme Court.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Wed, 15 Aug 2007
Source: Australian Broadcasting Commission (Australia-Web)
Reporter: Peter Cave
Website:http://www.abc.net.au