Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were condemned on Tuesday to death by firing squad after the Bali court found they were major players in the smuggling operation from Indonesia to Australia.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australia would ask for clemency despite the failure of previous representations on behalf of drug trafficker Nguyen Tuong Van, who was executed in Singapore last year.
"Some countries have granted clemency when we have appealed," he told the Nine Network.
"Singapore (did not) but that is the only case where clemency hasn't been granted… In the case of Vietnam, for example, clemency has been granted to Australians as a result of appeals made by me and other ministers, the prime minister.
"We don't know the answer as to whether the president of Indonesia will grant clemency or not and that is a long way down the track."
Mr Downer said most Australians do not support capital punishment but people contemplating trafficking drugs should understand that penalties are often severe.
"Australians should understand this, that if they are caught trafficking drugs we can give no guarantee that our attempts to get clemency will be successful.”
If Chan and Sukumaran seek clemency they must admit guilt and withdraw any appeals.
If they decide to appeal first they'll have to lodge an intention notice within seven days.
Ultimate penalty
The court order for death by firing squad marks the first time the Denspasar District Court handed down the ultimate penalty for drug offences.
Indonesian anti-drug activists cheered as the three-judge panel found Sukumaran, 24 from Sydney, guilty and announced the death sentence.
Prosecutors had characterised Sukumaran as being the enforcer of the so-called Bali Nine gang.
The alleged godfather of the group, Chan, was earlier convicted of leading a drug ring exporting heroin to Australia and sentenced to death by firing squad.
The Denpasar District Court erupted with shouts from the public gallery as its three-judge panel announced its verdict of "hukuman mati" or death penalty.
Judge Arief Supratman, reading out the verdict, said the 21-year-old was "guilty of illegally exporting first-class narcotics in an organised way."
Chan sat quietly beside a court translator for the verdict.
The sentence of death was in line with prosecutors' recommendations.
The defendant, Judge Supratman added, was also "the person who made the travel arrangements for several people from and to Australia."
"According to the teachings of various religions, the death penalty can be justified," Judge Supratman said.
Chan shook hands with his lawyers briefly before being led out by police from the packed courtroom and through a scrum of reporters and cameramen.
He was the first of the group to receive the death penalty.
Appeal process
Don Rothwell, an international law expert at Sydney University, said Chan and Sukurmaran have several appeal avenues open to them.
Professor Rothwell said the options include an appeal to Bali's High Court and possibly the Indonesian Supreme Court, adding the two condemned ringleaders could be executed within two or three months, even allowing for appeals.
But Asian law expert Professor Tim Lindsey of Melbourne University said the death sentences probably won't be overturned.
Rather, he believes the pair’s best hope is for gentle diplomacy from the Australian government.
Others face life behind bars
In a separate courtroom, a three-judge panel took less than an hour to read out its judgment and convict Michael Czugai , 20 of Brisbane, of trying to smuggle heroin from Bali to Australia on April 17 last year.
They said he had been found convincingly guilty of the primary charge of smuggling.
Czugaj sat with a passive expression on his face as the verdict and sentence was read out, holding hands his parents, Stephan and Vicki.
He was then rushed to a holding cell at the rear of the court where he put on dark sunglasses and then tried to hug his mother through the cell bars.
Czugaj was arrested at Bali airport with 1.75kg of heroin strapped to his body in three bags.
The sentence against Czugaj was in line with the demands of Indonesian prosecutors.
Fellow drug mule Martin Stephens was also sentenced to life in prison, in a separate courtroom.
On Monday fellow drug mules Renae Lawrence and Scott Rush were also jailed for life.
For those given life, the federal government is lobbying Indonesia to set up a prisoner exchange program to allow them to serve their sentences at home.
Warning to young Australians
Australian Prime Minister John Howard has seized on the verdicts, warning Australians to stay away from drugs.
“To every young Australian, please take notice of this... I even beg them not to take the terrible risk that these young people have done,” said Mr Howard.