{
  "id": 3444497,
  "title": "Zara inquest paused after coroner walks out over clash with counsel",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/zara-inquest-paused-after-coroner-walks-out-over-clash-with-counsel",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-26T05:56:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/08/26/zara-inquest-paused-after-coroner-walks-out-over-clash-with-counsel"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The inquest into the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir was halted today after the coroner, Amir Shah Amir Hassan, exited the courtroom during a heated exchange with a lawyer. Bernama reported that the inquest remained paused for approximately 50 minutes before resuming. The confrontation occurred while Dr Wong Haw Huo, the 75th witness in the inquest, faced questioning by Ram Singh, counsel for one of the teenagers accused of bullying Zara. Singh persistently requested Dr Wong to provide direct answers concerning the cause of Zara's fall and whether she was alone prior to the incident. Rizwandean M Borhan, representing Zara's mother, observed that Singh's questioning of Dr Wong seemed harsh. Singh objected to the term \"harsh,\" stating that previous counsel had also been very harsh. The coroner responded, \"But this is an inquest, not a trial.\" Singh retorted, \"I'm not saying it is a trial, sir. I mean, let's be fair to us. Let's be fair.\" The coroner then reiterated, \"Am I not fair enough?\" Singh replied, \"No, sir. Let's not get agitated about this.\" After the 50-minute break, Singh apologized to the court, asserting he did not intend his remarks to question the fairness of the proceedings. He admitted the coroner's decision to leave the courtroom had caught him off guard and expressed hope the incident would not recur. Rizwandean also apologized for his own conduct. Both lawyers extended apologies, but the coroner reminded them to maintain professionalism throughout the inquest. He also apologized for exiting the bench, expressing it was the first time in his 21 years of service that he had done so due to a minor chest pain. He emphasized that the main objective of the inquest is to remain professional.",
  "summary": "Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan leaves the bench abruptly after taking issue with lawyer Ram Singh’s apparent questioning of the proceedings' fairness.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Inquest into Zara Qairina's death briefly halted after tense exchange",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/inquest-into-zara-qairinas-death-briefly-halted-after-tense-exchange",
        "published": "2026-08-26T03:58:42.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Vibes",
        "title": "Zara Qairina Inquest: Coroner walks out as crucial psychiatric evidence takes centre stage",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/zara-qairina-inquest-coroner-walks-out-as-crucial-psychiatric",
        "published": "2026-08-26T05:44:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Zara inquest paused after coroner walks out over clash with counsel",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/zara-inquest-paused-after-coroner-walks-out-over-clash-with-counsel-3445668",
        "published": "2026-08-26T05:56:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malaysiakini",
        "title": "'Am I not fair enough?': Tense moment as coroner walks out of Zara inquest",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/am-i-not-fair-enough-tense-moment-as-coroner-walks-out-of-zara-inquest",
        "published": "2026-08-26T06:30:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}