HUMAN RIGHTS FOR EACH PERSON REGARDLESS OF AGE, RACE, RELIGION OR POLITICS
HOME | PRISONERS & PRISONS | EXPERIENCES | BOOKS & PRODUCTS | HOW YOU CAN HELP | LATEST NEWS | EMAIL
LATEST NEWS
Three of Bali Nine's fate rests with psychologist
By Martin Philip

THREE members of the Bali Nine will today rely on expert testimony from a Victorian academic in a last-ditch bid to escape the death penalty.

Monash University Professor clinical forensic psychology specialist James Ogloff is expected to testify on behalf of the men in Denpasar District Court.

Matthew James Norman, 20, Si Yi Chen, 22, and Thanh Duc Tan Nguyen, 24, were convicted of smuggling after being caught with heroin at a Bali hotel in April 2005.

The men are seeking a judicial review of their death sentences, and the Australian Government has agreed to meet the cost of providing expert testimony on their behalf.

Professor Ogloff yesterday met the men in Kerobokan prison.

"There is reasonable cause to support our claims that these three boys in particular have shown remorse, are able to respond to rehabilitation, and to make amends for their crimes," Foreign Prisoners Support Service leader Kay Danes said.

FPSS News Release 29 May 2007
Australian Attorney General's Office approve 11th hour funding for expert legal witness to testify in a Bali Nine appeal against the death sentence

Professor James Ogloff

International Human Rights Advocate of the Foreign Prisoner Support Service, Kay Danes, has successfully secured an expert witness at the last minute to testify in Tuesday's court appeal, on behalf of Australians Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen, Matthew Norman and Si Yi Chen.

Ms. Danes, acting as a prisoner advocate for the Australians detained on death row, recieved a late night telephone call on Thursday 24 May, from Bali-based Erwin Siregar, the criminal defence lawyer for the three Australians.. Mr. Siregar requested Ms. Danes to secure a legal expert where others, including himself, have failed to do so.

Immediately, Ms. Danes placed several telephone calls from her Brisbane residence to the Attorney General's office.

'The Attorney General's staff were fantastic given the time restraints that we were facing. We'd only just identified an expert witness for the trial, amazingly, he was willing to clear his schedule and put everything on hold for this.'

Professor James Ogloff is the Foundation Professor of Clinical Foreignsic Psychology at Monash University and Director of the Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science. He has also held appointments as Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of British Columbia and Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the University of Manitoba.

Ms. Danes says 'As an expert in forensic psychology, Professor Ogloff can articulate offender behaviour and if, when the offender shows remorse, they are able to respond to rehabilitation programs. His testimony as an expert in death penalty issues and human rights law is vital to the defence of these three Australians on death row and will include a number of key aspects.

Professor Ogloff will be able to provide substantive argument supporting the Defence's assertion that the death penalty is not a deterrent to crime; and in these particular cases, was not. He will be able to provide a humanitarian appeal on the basis that the death penalty contradicts the prisoner's right to life. He has extensive knowledge in this area and can draw from actual studies conducted in the United States and elsewhere.

Professor Ogloff will also be called upon to give responses relating to international human rights law; in particular, to the extra ordinary appeals for these Australians on death row.

'The Indonesian judges have been very supportive and I believe that Professor Ogloff's testimony will be well recieved. In this case, there is reasonable cause to support our claims that these three boys in particular have shown remorse, are able to respond to rehabilitation, and to make amends for their crimes.' says Kay Danes.

Professor Ogloff is meeting the boys in Kerobokan prison and will provide testimony on their behalf at the court hearing on Tuesday 28 May 2007, in Denpassar, Bali.

'The young Australians have committed crimes and should be punished, but each one has shown remorse and should have an opportunity to rehabilitative care. The death penalty renders impossible the idea of correction and rehabilitation; to give a person a second chance, to change, to make amends, to contribute to society in a more positive way. We appeal that their sentences be commuted to life with parole conditions' says Kay Danes.

Foreign Prisoner Support Services have launched a nationwide campaign against the death penalty. The abolition of the death penalty contributes to enhancement of human dignity and progressive development of human rights.

foreignprisoners.com

CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE NEWS PAGE
FREEDOM IS A RIGHT OF ALL HUMAN BEINGS IN A WORLD WHERE LIFE IS VALUED AND PEACE MAY FINALLY BE A POSSIBILITY
*
MAKE A DONATION
*
TELL A FRIEND
*
HOME | PRISONERS & PRISONS | EXPERIENCES | BOOKS & PRODUCTS | HOW YOU CAN HELP | LATEST NEWS | EMAIL
Just in case you forgot - read the Universal declaration of Human Rights
Copyright - An important message to website owners:
All information at this site is © Copyright 1996 - 2005 'Save-A-Life' & 'Foreign Prisoner Support Service' unless stated otherwise. As with all our information AND more specifically, information relating to CAMPAIGNS AND/OR PRISONERS we have been granted special permission to disclose this type of information by the families and/or by the detainee themselves. Therefore, if you wish to use any of this information to re-create in your own website or elsewhere, please contact us - save breach of copyright. News stories are reprinted for archival, news reporting and information use only and are credit where possible.
Click here for the legal stuff