CJ: Karpal's passing a great loss to legal fraternity

KUALA LUMPUR: Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria said the passing of prominent lawyer Karpal Singh (pix) was a great loss to the legal fraternity.
He described Karpal as a "great lawyer" whose courtroom prowess would always be remembered.
Arifin noted that Karpal was always a respectful lawyer who played his role well, thanks to his vast legal expertise.
"Of course we (the judiciary) will miss him. I would like to extend my sincere condolences to Mr Karpal Singh's family," he told Bernama when contacted.
The former DAP chairman and Bukit Gelugor MP died in a road accident at Km306.1 of the North-South Expressway, near Gua Tempurung, in Kampar early today, police said. He was 74.
Also killed in the 1.10am accident, involving an MPV and a lorry, was Karpal's personal assistant Michael Cornelius who was in his 40s, said Kampar police chief, Supt Ng Kong Soon.
Arifin admitted that he was shocked to hear about Karpal's passing this morning. The top man in the judiciary also said that Karpal had appeared before him since he (Arifin) was a High Court judge until now in his capacity as chief justice and Federal Court judge.
Karpal Singh leaves behind his wife Gurmit Kaur as well as four sons and a daughter. Four of his children have followed in his footsteps as a lawyer, namely Jagdeep Singh Deo, Gobind Singh Deo, Ram Karpal Singh Deo and Sangeet Kaur.
Former Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi said Karpal was "always a very pleasant lawyer" when he appeared before him while he was on the bench.
"He was a challenging opponent to appear against in court when I was in practice," Zaki said when contacted.
He noted that although Karpal used to attack him politically over one issue or another when he was chief justice, but when he appeared before him in court, he always showed a pleasant demeanour.
Karpal had filed an application to initiate a judicial review to compel Zaki to respond to his complaint over his (Zaki's) alleged misconduct when he was a practising lawyer.
His application was rejected by the High Court, and on Oct 13, 2011, he withdrew his appeal against the High Court's refusal of his application after the matter had become academic as Zaki had retired.
Karpal was also the lead counsel in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's second sodomy case.
The case is pending at the Federal Court after Anwar filed the appeal against the Court of Appeal's ruling on March 7, which sentenced him to five years' jail after the court found him guilty of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan on June 28, 2008.
On March 11 this year, Karpal was fined RM4,000 after being found guilty by the Kuala Lumpur High Court of uttering seditious remarks against Sultan Azlan Shah's removal of then Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, during a press conference in 2009.
On March 24, he filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal to set aside the sentence of RM4,000. In the same month, he stepped aside as DAP chairman temporarily, pending his appeal against the sedition conviction.
Among the high profile cases handled by the veteran lawyer was the one in 1987 when he initiated proceedings against the then Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Salahudin Abdul Aziz Shah over the sultan's remark that he would not pardon anyone who had been sentenced to death for drug trafficking in Selangor. However, his application was struck out that same year. – Bernama