Death sentence

I don't know quite how you get to the point where you can, as a judge or other legal officer, pass a death sentence. The unfortunate Van Nguyen seems to be not only the victim of the inhumanity of the Singaporean government, but also of the failure of the media to expose this execution until it is too late, and of the failure of governmental nerve and initiative on the part of the Commonwealth of Australia.
There would seem little doubt that Nguyen is guilty, but that has not stopped the media before. The frenzy over Corby and more recently, Leslie (who is now free) both found guilty was bizarre in the extreme. Nguyen has been in custody for over three years! One can only speculate where the media has chosen to not expose this tragedy until the last six months.
Is it good enough, too, for the Commonwealth to simply sit back and say we will not interfere with the sovereign processes, no matter how unjust or inhumane, of another country. This did not actually apply to our involvement in Iraq!
Personally, I would want an Australian government to say.."We actually believe that execution is wrong, barbaric, and cruel" And then to use its influence to do what it can. It is not apparent that this is the case. But that may not be so. Downer seems genuinely pained (in my opinion) when discussing his inability to act.
This highlights, once again, how despite our desires we still live in a world which, at least in parts, easily retreats to the hideous cruelty of a bygone age.