Court of Appeal slashes Malaysian Bar’s damages to Shafee to RM120,000
The Malaysian Court of Appeal reduced the damages awarded to lawyer Shafee Abdullah from RM340,000 to RM120,000 in a case involving the Malaysian Bar. The court ruled that while the Bar breached statutory duties, the claims for higher damages were not sufficiently proven.
Why it matters
Clarifies legal standards for professional bodies and the burden of proof required for damages in defamation or breach of duty cases.
The Court of Appeal dismissed Shafee Abdullah’s cross-appeal seeking to increase the RM340,000 in damages awarded by the High Court last year.
PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has partially allowed the Malaysian Bar’s appeal, reducing the damages awarded to lawyer Shafee Abdullah to RM120,000 for the professional body’s breach of its statutory duties towards him.
A three-member bench chaired by Justice Choo Kah Sing also dismissed Shafee’s cross-appeal seeking to increase the RM340,000 damages awarded by the High Court last year following an assessment of the compensation payable to him.
Justices Evrol Mariette Peters and Meor Hashimi Abdul Hamid were also on the panel, which unanimously delivered its ruling.
Choo, who delivered the broad grounds of judgment, said the damages and quantum sought must be proven by facts, not mere inference.
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