Bali Nine: Legal team vows to continue fight for Andrew Chan, Myuran Sukumaran despite transfer

The legal team for Australian drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran will not give up hope despite the pair's transfer to where they are scheduled for execution.

This morning, the two men were taken from Bali's Kerobokan prison and flown to Nusakambangan island where they are scheduled to face a firing squad.

A date has not yet been set for the executions and the attorney-general must give 72 hours' notice.

Lawyer Peter Morrissey said transfer was a blow.

"I mean it's gloomy news that they moved them but the legal battle is still there," he said.

"We've still got an appeal, and if they respect the rule of law they won't be shot pending the outcome of that appeal.

"That's our argument, and it's a good argument. The question is do they respect the rule of law or not?

"The 72 hours has not started to run. Legally the clock starts to tick with 72.

"But I can tell you, we won't be putting the cue back in the rack as far as fighting this. Even when the 72 hours starts, because the arguments are good, if we can just get someone to listen, we'll probably win."

Mr Morrissey said he had not spoken to Chan and Sukumaran today but that colleague Julian McMahon went to the prison and reassured them the team would "keep fighting".

"They're very sustained by the support of Australian people overall ... They're very sorry for what they did and they're sort of constantly thinking about that and apologising to the Indonesian people, even if they get killed that apology will still remain," Mr Morrissey told The World Today.

He said the pair had prepared the best they could for the situation.

"They've had to juggle hope and doing work to persuade the courts and looking after their families, and each of them has got a community within the prison to which they've build up over time.

"Andrew's a minister and Myuran has all his education classes that he does, so they've been juggling those things but I think that's helped them rather than distracted them.

"They're good people now and that gives them some strength."

Judge says pending executions are 'hideous'

Human rights lawyer turned Victorian Supreme Court judge Lex Lasry described the pending executions as "hideous".

Mr Lasry represented Australian man Van Nguyen before his execution in Singapore 10 years ago for possessing heroin.

He tweeted he would boycott Indonesia over the country's treatment of the Australians.

Law Council of Australia president Duncan McConnel said the group wanted to express its "grave concern" at the latest developments.

He called for Indonesia to "allow every legal avenue to be exhausted before it carries out the grave act of enforcing the death penalty on any prisoner".

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the Australians "deserved to be punished, but they certainly don't deserve to be executed".

"I think right now millions of Australians are feeling sick in their guts at the prospect of execution for these two," Mr Abbott said.

He said Australians would feel angry about today's events.

"In the long run, anger is not a very good basis on which to determine your own conduct. Let's see how things develop. Let's maintain our values. Let's maintain our respect for human life as a nation and as a society.

"Let's remember that a good relationship with Indonesia is very important to this country and whatever might happen in the next few days, the relationship with Indonesia must endure and, over time, it must grow stronger."

'While there's life, there's hope'

Labor's foreign affairs spokeswoman, Tanya Plibersek, said the pair's transfer was "concerning" and believed it was not appropriate to discuss possible diplomatic retaliation against Indonesia.

"I think while there's life, there's hope," Ms Plibersek said.

"We have heard stories before of people who have been literally on their way to have their sentences carried out and the sentence has been commuted. So I think it's very important to hold out hope and to continue to explore every avenue.

"The important thing to focus on now is using the friendship and goodwill that has build up over many years [with Indonesia], using the normal channels and informal channels to do everything we can to see the legal processes here given time to run their course."

Social Services Minister Scott Morrison declined to say whether Australia's relationship with Indonesia would be damaged if the men were executed.

"My thoughts and prayers are with these two young men and their families, and my hope and my prayer is that even at this time that Indonesia can show its strength and show its compassion in these circumstances," Mr Morrison said.