Hear, hear!

I do agree with the author of this well crafted article. I am a postgraduate Juris Doctor who has had a special interest in the Corby saga and have written an article which I did send to Nines 60 minutes and the Gold Coast Bulletin. Niether have replied or acknowledged the article was received. I would like to post this article on this site, therefore could some one let me know how this could be done.

Crap! She got busted, she deserves whatever she gets. All the Australian government should do is make sure she gets a fair trial inline with indonesian law by helping her get a qualified lawyer just as any Australian citizen would get here. Other than that, she can rot in jail for as long as the indonesian legal system deems appropriate. Proportionality? Whatever, what evedince is there showing that the Australian legal system is any better at discouraging crime or reforming criminals based on the sentencing dished out by Australian judges. Does Australia's rate of criminal recidivism (particularly for drug crimes) make it a shining light of appropriate and proportionate punishment compared to the rest of the world? Minimisation of pain? for who, the drug taker, or society who bears the cost? Or is drug taking a victimless crime?

Mirko Bagaric's article is timely. It bothers me that there appears to be a number of people suggesting that the Indonesian system is fair and just....including some of our most senior politicians. It is a pity that we have a number of Australians, some who appear to be more guilty than others caught up in this way. Help....of course they need help from home and the more help the better......finbar

So John Howard said "But people have to understand that if they get caught with drugs, they can't expect the government to bail them out".

I don't see how you get from here to the claim that this amounts to saying "if people get caught with drugs in Asia they shouldn't expect assistance from the Australian Government."

What the Priminister did was simply to state a fact. The Government cannot bail people out - it does not have the power to do so - so people shouldn't expect it to.

Has John Howard said that the Government won't assist such people, to the extent that it can? I don't think so.

Sylvia.

Professor

Thank you for your article. I guess it is what I would expect from a Deakin socialist academic.

You call Leslie "stupid" and seem to forgive her for behaving in a criminal manner - on the grounds that she is "stupid". And then you expect taxpayers (you say the Government should pay - we pay the Government with our hard earned taxes)to foot the bill for her lawless behaviour.

You are trivialising her behaviour by calling it "stupid". Her behaviour was not stupid - it was downright wrong. She chose to take illegal drugs into another country - despite the myriad warnings aired on TV, radio, in newspapers, and at airports. I presume that she is not deaf, mute, or blind? The same can be said for Corby and the Bali 9. None are "stupid". They are all adults who make their own [irresponsible] choices. They all chose to ignore Indonesian law and warnings - albiet their laws are draconian.

I note that you did not call Leslie "stupid" when she tried to play the Muslim game - half naked on a cat walk one minute - and the next wearing a berka and swearing her faith to Allah. What a joke. Her only stupidity was that she tried to be cunning - and it didn't pay off! No tears from me.

The Howard Government gives a fair share of support to these very selfish and egocentric people. So you are asking we fair dinkum tax payers to give more money to selfish people? I will willingly pay more taxes to assist profoundly mentally ill people who are homeless in our country.

And to say that she only took a "few" ectasy tablets. Let's face it, in the Aussie vernacular - a few is anywhere between two and twenty two - any any drug addict.

I suggest that Deakin University Academic Intelligencia work to change Indonesian law. The Howard Government is far too busy sending milliions of dollars (our money) to Indonesia for Avian Flu education - to save their lives and ours.

Agree with you Weapon.

Cheers
Kay