Dubai court rejects Dh360m compensation claim by company manager

Dubai: The Dubai Civil Court has dismissed a lawsuit seeking Dh360 million in compensation, ruling the case inadmissible as it was linked to a decision issued by a special judicial committee whose rulings are final and not subject to appeal. The court also ordered the claimant to bear legal costs and pay Dh5,000 in lawyers’ fees.

The case was brought by a company manager who claimed he had suffered substantial financial and moral damages after being accused of forgery and subjected to enforcement measures, including asset attachment and disruption of his business operations. He argued that these actions were arbitrary and had caused severe harm to his commercial activities and reputation.

According to court records, the claimant said he lost annual business opportunities worth around Dh60 million, which accumulated over time and led to total claimed damages of Dh360 million by 2026. He also cited an additional Dh68 million in disputed funds linked to outstanding cheques, which he considered part of the financial losses he had incurred.

The claimant maintained that the actions taken against him were based on a ruling issued by a special judicial committee, which he alleged had exceeded its jurisdiction by issuing decisions of a penal nature, arguing that such authority lies solely with the competent courts. He further raised procedural objections, including the lack of legal standing of the defendants and the invalidity of the legal basis relied upon by the committee.

In his claim, he requested the court to appoint an expert to assess the extent of the damages, halt all measures taken against him, and restore his reputation.

However, the court, after reviewing the case file and submissions, found that the essence of the lawsuit amounted to a direct challenge to the legality and binding effect of a decision issued by a special judicial committee. The court emphasised that, under established legal principles, decisions issued by such committees are final and binding and cannot be appealed or contested before ordinary courts.

It further noted that the compensation claim was closely linked to disputing the validity of that decision, effectively constituting an indirect appeal, which is not permissible. The court added that the request to appoint an expert was merely ancillary to the main claim and therefore could not be considered once the primary claim was deemed inadmissible.

Based on these findings, the court ruled to dismiss the case in full as inadmissible, ordering the claimant to bear all legal expenses and pay Dh5,000 in lawyers’ fees, reaffirming the principle that decisions of special judicial committees are final and beyond challenge before civil courts.