Schapelle Corby's attitude towards Indonesia had made it very difficult for Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran to win support at the highest levels of the Indonesian government in their bid to avoid the firing squad.

Former Indonesian constitutional court chief justice Jimly Asshiddiqie, who was a key player in the anti-death penalty lobby in Jakarta in the lead-up to the executions on April 29, said the push for Chan and Sukumaran to die had come from Indonesian President Joko Widodo personally.

Executed: Australians Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan. Credit:Bagus Othman

In an unprecedented insight into the inner workings of the Indonesian government, Professor Jimly also confirmed to Fairfax Media that Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla had been part of a small group pushing back, ultimately unsuccessfully, against the executions.

But he said several issues, including the Corby family's reaction to her clemency, granted in 2012, and her release on parole in 2014, were among the key negatives in the campaign.