The Australian: Corby's judges never acquit [May 25, 2005]: None of the three judges presiding over Schapelle Corby's trial has ever found a defendant innocent. That includes a judge who has been on the bench for 15 years. Not one single innocent defendent in 15 years? I can't imagine any functional legal system could come up with that. [via linkfrenzy: I've a nasty feeling about posting this... which has a good roundup of reactions].

I can understand deciding not to go to Bali; between bombings, natural disasters and an insane legal system it hasn't exactly been a top spot lately. But I don't understand Australians boycotting local Indonesian buesinesses like restaurants, including some run by Australians. What the fuck do people think they're proving? It's insane.

It's not just Australians who are being odd about this though. The Globe and Mail: Indonesia warns against boycott of Bali : Calls for a tourist boycott of Bali to protest an Australian woman's 20-year sentence for smuggling marijuana onto the Indonesian island are driving a wedge between the two countries, an Indonesian official said Monday. ...as if a presumed-guilt legal system didn't have anything to do with it. Plus, it's about the Australian psyche - in particular the expectation of a fair go. Australians on the whole seem to feel that an Aussie in an Indonesian court will not get a fair trial, particularly since the Australian legal system is fundamentally different (presumed innocence).

Ultimately I think a lot of this situation comes from the fact the case is a nightmare scenario. It's common fodder for movies and mini series: the innocent victim having drugs put in their bag. People are seeing a fear made real; and they are reacting accordingly.

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