An Australian Judge, Andrew Bray Cameron Wilson, 63,...

An Australian Judge, Andrew Bray Cameron Wilson, 63, has sentenced two former Samoan cabinet ministers, former Women's Affairs Minister Leafa Vitale, 57, and former Communications Minister Toi Aukuso, 68, to death for the shooting of Public Works Minister Luagalau Levaula Kamu at the 20th anniversary ball of the ruling Human Rights Protection Party. Justice Wilson, who joined the Supreme Court of Samoa in 1999, upheld the decision of the assessors and imposed the death sentence. But on May 10, Minister Leafa Vitale and Minister Toi Aukuso had their sentence commuted to life by Samoan head of state Malietoa Tanumafili II. (see Samoa) Former Australian chief justice Gerard Brennan, who as a young barrister worked in Fiji and Papua New Guinea, said it was common for Australian judges to serve in the Pacific. Asked about the death penalty, Sir Gerard said: "I can only speak for myself ... I would not serve on a court in which I would be required to pass a death sentence."