Attorney-General seeks advice on bid to save Nguyen

SYDNEY - Attorney-General Philip Ruddock was last night seeking urgent legal advice about a bid to save condemned drug trafficker Nguyen Tuong Van.

A spokeswoman for Mr Ruddock said advice was being sought from Solicitor-General David Bennett about whether an appeal could be launched under Singaporean law.

The Australian reports the appeal relates to provisions in the Singaporean constitution relating to clemency pleas.

"The Attorney-General is not wanting to raise expectations until he's sought formal advice on the option," Mr Ruddock's spokeswoman told the newspaper.

"We have sought and received advice on a range of issues as part of ongoing dialogue with the Solicitor-General's office on the Nguyen case.

"We'll continue to take advice any options that become apparent to the government."

Nguyen's family has begun planning for the worst, organising for the 25-year-old's body to be brought back to Melbourne for burial next week if he fails to win a last-minute reprieve and is hanged as expected at dawn on Friday.

Nguyen, 25, was arrested in late 2002 carrying almost 400gm of heroin at Singapore's Changi Airport and was later sentenced to death by hanging.

- AAP