NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

NZ heroin-case pair's lawyer dies in crash

NZ Herald
20 Apr, 2014 04:15 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Lorraine Cohen. Photo / AP
Lorraine Cohen. Photo / AP

Lorraine Cohen. Photo / AP

Jailed opposition leader hails `indefatigable fighter for justice'.

The lawyer who represented Kiwi heroin smugglers Lorraine and Aaron Cohen - and eventually got the pair pardoned - has been killed in a car crash in Malaysia.

Karpal Singh, 74, died when his van collided with a truck on a highway about 155km from Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. It is understood he was travelling to a court hearing when the crash happened.

Mr Singh was well known for defending people on death row, including the Cohens.

In February 1985 Lorraine Cohen, then 42, and her 18-year-old son Aaron were arrested and charged with heroin possession as they tried to board a plane at Penang International Airport in Malaysia.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The pair both had the drug hidden in their underwear.

In September 1987 Lorraine Cohen was sentenced to death and her son to life imprisonment. Aaron Cohen was only spared the death penalty because of his young age.

Both appealed against their sentences and the elder Cohen's was reduced to life imprisonment.

After surviving a battle with breast cancer while in prison, Lorraine Cohen successfully obtained a pardon with the help of Mr Singh. They were released in 1996.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mrs Cohen was not available to comment last night.

Mr Singh, a father of five, was one of Malaysia's most prominent lawyers. He was also a politician and former national chairman of the Democratic Action Party.

His most recent high-profile case was that of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, charged with and jailed for sodomising a male former aide.

Ibrahim described Mr Singh as "an indefatigable fighter for justice" in a tribute on Twitter.

Discover more

New Zealand

Crash kills businesswoman

21 Apr 10:45 PM
New Zealand|crime

Drug smuggler Lorraine Cohen dies

27 May 11:33 PM
New Zealand|crime

Kiwi's death sentence judge a 'reluctant' servant

31 Jul 05:00 PM

In 2005 Mr Singh survived a car accident, but was wheelchair-bound. His disability did not stop his legal and political careers.

Thousands of people lined the streets as his coffin was transported to a state funeral service.

In his eulogy, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said Mr Singh dedicated his life to the legal profession, fighting for justice and upholding constitutional and human rights.

Karpal Singh

• Malaysian lawyer and politician.
• Admitted to the Penang Bar in 1969.
• Leading opponent of the death penalty in Malaysia.
• Successfully defended at least 10 foreigners on serious drug charges which carry a mandatory death sentence.
• Defended New Zealand heroin smugglers Lorraine and Aaron Cohen and was instrumental in their pardon.
• Also defended Australian drug trafficker Kevin Barlow who was executed in Malaysia in 1986.
• Represented former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim during his two sodomy trials.

- Staff reporter

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save
    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand
|Updated

Fire crews extinguish blaze at smoke-logged Mitre 10 Westgate

New Zealand

Are you a winner? Lotto's $11.4m prize pool up for grabs

Crime

How a prison guard's phone favour for an inmate led to a brutal attack


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Recommended for you

Seventeen fire trucks responding to blaze at Mitre 10 Westgate
New Zealand

Seventeen fire trucks responding to blaze at Mitre 10 Westgate

Are you a winner? Lotto's $11.4m prize pool up for grabs
New Zealand

Are you a winner? Lotto's $11.4m prize pool up for grabs

How a prison guard's phone favour for an inmate led to a brutal attack
Crime

How a prison guard's phone favour for an inmate led to a brutal attack

Warriors dealt shock defeat as Titans breach Go Media Stadium - again
Warriors

Warriors dealt shock defeat as Titans breach Go Media Stadium - again

'OMG What the actual f': Gwyneth Paltrow stars in latest Coldplay kiss cam twist
World

'OMG What the actual f': Gwyneth Paltrow stars in latest Coldplay kiss cam twist

Double trouble, brace for drenching – two weather systems bearing down on NZ
New Zealand

Double trouble, brace for drenching – two weather systems bearing down on NZ



Latest from New Zealand

Fire crews extinguish blaze at smoke-logged Mitre 10 Westgate
New Zealand
|Updated

Fire crews extinguish blaze at smoke-logged Mitre 10 Westgate

Fire crews were alerted to the blaze about 7pm.

26 Jul 08:22 AM
Are you a winner? Lotto's $11.4m prize pool up for grabs
New Zealand

Are you a winner? Lotto's $11.4m prize pool up for grabs

26 Jul 08:02 AM
How a prison guard's phone favour for an inmate led to a brutal attack
Crime

How a prison guard's phone favour for an inmate led to a brutal attack

26 Jul 07:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
Subscribe now

All Access Weekly

From $2 per week
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All Access Annual

Pay just
$449
$49
per year ongoing
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search