'Oh no, Ziggy gone!'

THE EDITOR: A few minutes ago, I learnt of the death of Mr Justice Zainool Hosein, which occurred over a month ago. Although I had not seen him for many years, the news of his death overwhelmed me with great sadness.

My agonised cry of, “Oh! No!” sent my daughter flying into my office to find out what was the cause. All I could say, through my tears, was, “Ziggy gone.”

My memories of Justice Hosein were very pleasant ones. He was a no-nonsense judge, who treated lawyers with courtesy and fairness and dispensed justice with a heart. I recall appearing before him in a case where a very experienced lawyer was against me and trying all the tricks in the book to delay the hearing of the matter.

He had succeeded with other judges, but when the matter came up before Justice Hosein and I related the history of the matter, Justice Hosein gave the lawyer a good tongue-lashing and fixed the matter for hearing. The lawyer did not appear. Justice Hosein granted my order and the lawyer later sought to set it aside. Justice Hosein dealt with the matter firmly and decisively.

In the worst case of child abuse I have ever encountered, the father had twice impregnated his teenage daughter. His other daughter, a five-year -old, had been found with a venereal disease. Justice Hosein ordered that the girl children be placed in various institutions and that the court send the file to the DPP and the Commissioner of Police.

Sadly, this latter order was not obeyed. A few years later, the father was found guilty of buggery of his sons. His lawyer begged that the man not be given a custodial sentence because of his old age.

Justice Hosein was not slow to reign me in, when, in exasperation, I became disrespectful of a very senior attorney in a hotly-contested case of paternity. The evidence I had produced to the court was overwhelming proof that the deceased young man, who had died an accidental death, was the father of my client’s child. The lawyer, who boasted that he had practised on the Strand in London, submitted there was no corroboration. In turn, I told the court that the only reason the lawyer could make such a submission was because he clearly did not understand the nature of corroboration.

The judge protested on the lawyer’s behalf. I pretended to be contrite but smiled broadly when I got my order. Subsequently, to everybody, who came before him, seeking a paternity declaration, he would say, “Speak to Mrs Ahye.”

It was a delight to work with him during the Lawyers Under Lights concerts.

He was so talented he could easily have had a career in music. I am sure he is playing music with the angels in heaven. My heartfelt condolences to his family. May he rest in eternal peace.

HAZEL THOMPSON-AHYE

Independent Senator