Australian Politics: Julie Bishop makes bizarre plea to Indonesia - Pity the AFP didn't cause this mess in the first place


 Andrew Chan and
Myuran Sukumaran.
The Courier-Mail reports: FOREIGN Minister Julie Bishop's offer to cover the cost of life imprisonment for Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran is part of a package aimed at sparing the pair from the death penalty, the men's Australian lawyer says.

MS Bishop reportedly made the offer to Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi in a letter in which she lists the alleged corruption of trial judges as one of many reasons the two Australians should be saved.The Bali Nine ringleaders are in quarantine conditions on Nusakambangan island off Java awaiting execution, with their lawyers due to return to court on Thursday with their most urgent appeal yet.

Speaking on Thursday, the men's Australian lawyer, Peter Morrissey, described Ms Bishop's offer as attractive, but doubted Indonesian authorities would take it up.

"It's attractive in itself. Whether that on its own will do the trick, I doubt. It's part of a package," Mr Morrissey told the Seven Network.

"I think, Indonesia will consider the whole range of things that Julie Bishop and Tony Abbott have put forward."