Court of Appeal slashes Muhammad Shafee’s damages in Malaysian Bar suit to RM120,000

The Court of Appeal has reduced the damages awarded to senior lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah from RM340,000 to RM120,000 in his suit against the Malaysian Bar and two others for breach of statutory duty. The three-member bench led by Justice Datuk Dr Choo Kah Sing dismissed Muhammad Shafee's appeal seeking an increase in the quantum of damages, while allowing the Malaysian Bar's appeal in part.

The Court of Appeal held that damages and quantum must be established by facts, rather than mere inference, and that the illegalities in the Bar's action did not automatically imply malice. The High Court had previously awarded Muhammad Shafee RM200,000 for reputational loss and injury to feelings, RM100,000 for loss of professional opportunities, RM20,000 for mental stress and health-related consequences, and RM20,000 in aggravated damages.

The Court of Appeal reduced the award for reputational loss and injury to feelings to RM100,000, while maintaining the RM20,000 in aggravated damages, and set aside the awards for loss of professional opportunities, mental stress and health-related consequences.

Brief written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.