I am deeply saddened by the passing away of my fellow contemporary, the late Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram.
He and I read law together at the Inns of Court in London during the years 1964-1967 during which time we attended lectures together conducted by the Council of Legal Education in England. He was the member of Lincoln's Inn and I being the Member of the Inner Temple.
He and I was selective in attending lectures conducted by the Council of Legal Education and in particular and attended only in the field Equity and Trust which was conducted by an eminent author himself and who later became the Supreme Court Judge of England & Wales.
Our relationship became closer while we continued to practice even when he retired as the Federal Court Judge and subsequently he continued his practice.
He was indeed helpful to his fellow practitioners and even went to the extend to help them when they were disciplined by the Disciplinary Board of the Bar Council.
He went to the extent of offering his services to represent them at the Appellate Court and mitigated for them to allow them to continue with their practice. He was therefore down to earth not only in his practice but was able to help his fellow contemporaries in the Bar.
This is further evidence though I being a senior in practice for the past 54 years which is continuing, I still went on to consult him on the matters of law to ascertain whether my decision in law is in consensus with him.
He was always up to date with the current development in law particularly in Britain.
And, just like the late Lord President, Tun Sufian, Tun Salleh Abas, Tan Sri Abdul Malik, the former President of the Court of Appeal, Tan Sri Yusof Abdul Kadir of the Supreme Court / Federal Court and Tan Sri Harun Hashim of Supreme Court / Federal Court respectively, were current on the latest pronouncement of Judgments in England even before it appear in the Malaysian Law Journals.
Tan Sri Gopal Sri Ram is, therefore, could be ranked among those eminent Judges which I have stated herein. He had always been honest, decent and had an impeccable character and who had maintained the rule of law without fear or favour.
I, therefore, missed him deeply as my fellow colleague and express my deepest sorrow and deep felt condolences to his bereaved family.
S.I Rajah
Messrs S.I Rajah & Co
Advocates & Solicitors
Kuala Lumpur.
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times