Editorial: Bali govt in flagrante on this one

Andrew Austin believes the execution of the Bali Nine was a "shameful act."

The execution of Bali Nine ringleaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran along with six others in the early hours of yesterday morning was not right.

Obviously the Indonesian government wanted to send a strong message to would-be drug offenders, warning them of the consequences of trafficking drugs in that country.

I have no problem with harsh sentences being meted out to drug traffickers, but I don't believe that the death penalty was the correct punishment.

Sure, Chan and Sukumaran were guilty as charged, but their execution was over the top. The Australians had served about a decade in prison and were clearly rehabilitated during that period.

A fundamental principle of criminal law is proportionality - the notion that the punishment must fit the crime. Clearly that was not the case here.

A sledgehammer was used to crush a nut.

Even worse than that, the Indonesian judiciary and government seemed to revel in the circus they created around the executions.

Not only was there a distinct lack of compassion and basic humanity for the young men at the centre of this debacle, but the Indonesian authorities showed a callous disregard for the pain and suffering of their families.

It is one thing to make an example of offenders to deter others, but it is taking things to a whole new level when the pleas from families and other governments are so contemptuously ignored.

The Indonesia authorities committed a shameful act when all that was required was a little bit of mercy.