The familiar face of a lawyer who tirelessly defended his clients will no longer grace the courts.
Criminal lawyer Louis Joseph died around 1am yesterday after a sudden heart attack, leaving his family and the legal fraternity in shock after 25 years of practising and teaching law.
He was 61.
His widow, Madam Sylvia Khoo, 62, told The New Paper at his wake that he had gone to bed around 11pm.
Nothing seemed amiss other than him having a slight bout of flu, she said.
But as she was showering, she heard him making loud noises.
“It sounded like he was shouting in his sleep. I tried to wake him up but couldn’t,” she said.
Madam Khoo said her late husband loved his job fiercely and was always approachable.
“No matter what time it was, he would always answer phone calls.”
Above all, she said, her husband was a caring father and loving husband who lived for his daughter, Miss Maria Joseph, 28, a museum professional.
Miss Joseph said: “He liked to cook so he would watch cooking shows and make our favourite food.”
He was especially skilled at making Hainanese pork chop, she added.
Lawyers paid tribute to Mr Joseph, describing him as dedicated and hardworking.
Mr Joseph, a former lecturer at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, handled mostly criminal cases, including the high-profile case of former Mobile Air boss Jover Chew.
Fellow criminal lawyer Rajan Supramaniam, from Hilborne Law, who worked in the same building, said Mr Joseph was committed to his work and clients.
“He always wanted justice to prevail and did his best for his clients. His passing is a great loss to the law community,” he said.
SHOCKED
Mr Joseph’s colleague, Regent Law managing director Matthew Kurian, said he was deeply shocked by the news.
“When I first heard it, I thought it was a joke. I couldn’t accept it. He was as fit as a fiddle,” he said.
In Mr Joseph’s four years at Regent Law, he handled 2,000 to 3,000 criminal cases, Mr Kurian said.
“There’s going to be a vacuum now that he’s gone.
“He’s a lovely guy and he will be deeply missed.”
Mr Kurian stood in for one of Mr Joseph’s cases in court yesterday and told District Judge Matthew Joseph what had happened.
The judge told the court that Mr Joseph had displayed exemplary professionalism and was a good friend of the court.
“The court is deeply shocked (and) has lost a true friend. In particular, he appeared in the community court several times and was fearless in promoting the interests of his clients,” he said.
The wake is at the Church of St Teresa in Kampong Bahru.
Mr Joseph’s body will be cremated at Mandai Crematorium Hall 4 at 3.30pm on Friday.
This article was first published on June 8, 2016.
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