Hi there RUNNER...

I couldn't agree with you more. Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia are really fair dinkum with their punishments for drug traffickers. Whereas we in Australia go to the other extreme by being pathetically weak in all respects.

I must admit, the only worthwhile sentencing I've seen for awhile are some that have directly impacted upon those engaged directly in terrorist activities ? Other than that it's business as usual, the continued 'revolving door' sentencing protocol ? If there's anything that will literally dishearten working detectives, is doing a mountain of work, to put an airtight 'brief' together, only to find the crook gets a slap on the wrist, and swagger's out of court grinning ?

Musing quietly away to myself, I occasionally think if only we could magically transpose some of these smart bastards to say a Singapore jurisdiction, and see if they can maintain their utter contempt for the drug laws then ? Unfortunately reality takes over, and we again witness another example of the 'revolving door' justice system at work once more ?

It's my humble belief, it's the fiscal costs that essentially regulate our justice system ? As an example, say it costs (approximation only) about $100AUD per diem, to keep an individual incarcerated in OZ ? And in Malaysia, say it costs only $35AUD per diem to lock up the same individual ? Therefore the whole criminal justice (incarceration component at least) is predicated purely on a fiscal imperative ?

If correct, it's little wonder these S.E. Asian Nations, prefer to execute their worst offenders, rather than paying for their upkeep for years on end ? Fiscally it makes sound economic sense ?

They knew the consequences if they were caught, they gambled the death penalty against the loads of money they would have received if not caught.

They lost the bet, I have no sympathy for them.

Indonesia and other countries have real problems with drugs, they want to send the strongest possible message.

It is easy to feign look at me now I am reformed, please let me go. People are not easily fooled by that one.

o sung wu, "if correct, it's little wonder these S.E. Asian Nations, prefer to execute their worst offenders, rather than paying for their upkeep for years on end ? Fiscally it makes sound economic sense?"

That patronises SEA countries and diminishes their legal systems (and intelligence).

No, I believe they ascribe to the concept of justice where the offender should not suffer lesser losses to the losses s/he inflicted on his/her victim/s, where arguably the losses suffered by the immediate family/dependents/associates of the victim should also be factored in.

Whereas in Australia we have an inclination to forget the victims and make every attempt to excuse the offenders, for example by shifting the blame onto society. Ultimately we are the fatalists who claim that the offender is a victim of his/her circumstances and was even destined to commit the offence. We may not even see the offenders as exercising their own free choice and their own free actions.

For instance, in the thread someone is claiming that Chan and Sukumaran were 'only' focussed on their possible gain and had no thoughts for the dreadful consequences of harm and lives lost through trafficking 8kg of heroin. That is supposed to diminish the seriousness of their offence and culpability!

While I do not argue for capital punishment for Australia, I would challenge the view that a long sentence automatically results in long custody. Life is usually not life. As for coming to see the error of their ways, the numbers who re-offend make a joke of that.

Captial punishment is also an extremely expensive way of dealing with offenders
http://www.deathpenalty.org/article.php?id=42
It actually costs significantly more to execute someone than it does to give them life without parole.

OnTheBeach

Good point.

<<Whereas in Australia we have an inclination to forget the victims and make every attempt to excuse the offenders>>

And it has infested the whole of our society ...one area the pees me is with local councils. Once all parks would have freely accessible taps, bubblers and toilets. Now it appears most of these have been removed because a few have misused them. So instead of clamping down hard of the offenders, who little attempt is made to catch, they prefer to inconvenience the whole community

Jay,

The costing in your link may apply in some US States, but it doesn't apply in Indonesia.

There was mention of only some of the firing squad firing ball ammo and the rest firing blanks; why would blanks be fired?