Ajman Court awards Dh20,000 in compensation for public defamation

Ajman: The Ajman Civil Court of First Instance has ordered a man to pay Dh20,000 in compensation after he publicly insulted another person, causing significant emotional and social harm.

The court’s decision highlights the legal consequences of defamation and the impact on an individual’s reputation.

The case stemmed from a lawsuit filed by the victim, who sought Dh190,000 in damages, arguing that the defendant’s offensive words severely affected his emotional well-being and social life.

Court records revealed that the incident initially led to a criminal case against the defendant, which eventually evolved into a civil lawsuit. The civil court based its decision on the earlier criminal ruling, affirming that the defendant’s actions were indeed responsible for the harm caused.

Legal provision

The court highlighted that the criminal conviction provided the foundation for the civil case, as per Article 269 of the Criminal Procedure Law. This legal provision ensures that once a criminal court establishes a crime and identifies the responsible party, the civil court must accept those findings without reopening the investigation.

In its Judgement, the court emphasised on the lasting impact of public insults on the victim’s emotional state, noting that the defendant’s actions met the criteria for civil liability, including fault, damage, and causality. The victim’s emotional distress and social withdrawal were deemed to have caused both material and non-material harm.

While the victim had sought a much larger compensation amount, the court determined that Dh20,000 was a fair and appropriate sum. The court acknowledged that financial compensation could not fully erase emotional harm, but it aimed to alleviate some of the distress caused by the defamation.