Corby lawyers file appeal papers

14:59 AEST Wed Jun 1 2005

Defence lawyers for convicted Australian drug smuggler Schapelle Corby have formally launched her appeal in Indonesia against her conviction and 20-year jail sentence.

Lawyer Lily Lubis filed preliminary papers in Denpasar District Court where Corby was found guilty last Friday of smuggling 4.1kg of cannabis into Denpasar airport last October.

she was sentenced by the three judges delivering the verdict to 20 years in a Bali jail.

The defence papers simply told court authorities Corby had authorised her lawyers to mount an appeal.

Among the documents handed to the court registrar was a statement to that effect signed by Corby.

Under the Indonesian justice system, the defence team has another two and a half weeks to complete and lodge its appeal with the Bali High Court.

Appeal judges in that court then have 60 days to consider the appeal which will be challenged by prosecutors.

With the launch of Corby's appeal, the prosecution is now mounting its own appeal to have her sentence increased to life imprisonment.

Lubis said she was still waiting for an official transcript of last Friday's judgment and until then could not finalise the grounds on which the defence would challenge Corby's conviction and sentence.

However, she said that among some basic points was the fact that the three-judge panel overseeing the trial had dismissed out of hand evidence and testimony given by all defence witnesses.

Lubis said there were grounds to challenge the verdict on the matter of whether Corby knew there was cannabis in her body board bag when it was opened by customs staff at Bali airport last October.

The judges had been following an 1997 anti-drugs law which had left this question of intent ambiguous but Lubis said she had expert legal advice suggesting the judges should have established whether Corby knew as general legal principle.

At the weekend, the defence team brought in two Perth QCs, Tom Percy and Mark Trowell, as consultants.

On Wednesday, a legal adviser in the Indonesian team, Vasu Rasiah, said it was now searching for a heavyweight lawyer in Jakarta to also help.

An Indonesian academic law expert would also be recruited as the defence explores several avenues of appeal, both legal and constitutional, and hopes new evidence comes to light.

13:49 AEST Wed Jun 1 2005

The head of Sydney airport admits Australia's largest terminal has a security problem.

But Sydney Airport Corporation executive chairman and chief executive Max Moore-Wilton said Australians should be careful not to vilify people who had already served time for a crime.

His comments follow a report in The Australian newspaper on Wednesday that a man who had served eight years in jail for drug smuggling was working at Sydney airport.

Mr. Moore-Wilton said the man was only working as a trolley attendant.

"We have to be very careful that we don't go vilifying people who have actually served their time in our criminal justice system," Mr. Moore-Wilton told ABC radio.

"I certainly don't in any way justify somebody that's had very serious criminal charges successfully proved against them working in sensitive areas, and we are making that position to the government.

"But at the end of the day it's the government and the public that have to decide that they are prepared for airports to be very special places (where people with criminal records don't work) because it doesn't apply anywhere else."

A secret Australian Customs Service report, completed last September and leaked to The Australian newspaper this week, found some Sydney airport workers had been involved in drug smuggling and stealing and some could pose a terrorist threat.

It also detailed serious security breaches and illegal activity by baggage handlers, aircrew, ramp and trolley workers, security screeners and cleaners.

Mr. Moore-Wilton said he was very concerned about the report but steps were being taken to tighten security in Sydney's terminal.

Sydney airport already had announced it would spend a significant amount to upgrade surveillance in baggage handling areas, he said.

"I am not running away from the fact I think there is a problem and we need to do something about it very quickly," Mr. Moore-Wilton said.

"I think it is incumbent upon the managements of airports, government and airlines to get public confidence back into the system, and we are working towards that."