Foreign Minister Bob Carr is taking a very unorthodox approach in his efforts to secure the release of an Australian lawyer from a Libyan prison, the Coalition says.
Senator Carr arrived in Libya on Monday for meetings with Libya's interim prime minister and other senior government figures to ask for full consular access to Melinda Taylor, who was first detained on June 7.
Senator Carr said on Tuesday he was hopeful Ms Taylor, a lawyer with the International Criminal Court (ICC), would be released if the ICC apologised to Libya.
But Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop said Senator Carr had inserted himself into the negotiations, which was contrary to the usual Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) approach in case of Australians detained overseas.
"He's adopted a very unorthodox approach," Ms Bishop told Sky News.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
"I just hope Senator Carr is acting on consular advice, on the experienced voices within DFAT in doing what he has done overseas, which is insert himself into the negotiations in Tripoli, between the ICC and the Libyan authorities."
"I just hope Bob Carr is acting on their expert advice and this running commentary in the media is part of an overall plan that does go against the advice that I have received in the past."
Ms Bishop said she hoped Ms Taylor was released soon.
Ms Taylor was detained along with three ICC colleagues, after a meeting with the son of deposed Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, Seif al-Islam.
