Dubai Court orders woman to pay Dh25,000 for defaming beauty clinic owner

Dubai: A Dubai court has ordered   woman to pay Dh25,000 in compensation to a cosmetic clinic owner after publicly accusing her of theft and illegal earnings, in a case that damaged the businesswoman’s reputation and caused financial losses.

According to court records, the incident occurred at a cosmetic clinic in Bur Dubai, where the defendant made defamatory statements about the clinic owner in the presence of staff and clients. The woman allegedly accused the clinic owner of being a thief and suggested that the source of her income was illegal.

The statements were made openly and were witnessed by several individuals present at the clinic at the time.

The dispute initially resulted in a criminal case, where prosecutors charged the defendant with defamation and insulting the victim publicly.

A criminal court later convicted the woman and fined her Dh5,000. The ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeal, and the conviction became final after no further appeal was filed within the legally prescribed time.

Following the final criminal ruling, the clinic owner filed a civil lawsuit seeking Dh100,000 in compensation, arguing that the defendant’s accusations harmed her reputation and the reputation of her cosmetic clinic.

She told the court that the statements led to financial losses, the loss of clients and intermediaries, and damage to her professional standing. She also said the remarks caused significant emotional distress and humiliation.

The claimant submitted supporting evidence including official documents confirming the final criminal judgment, written communications and witness testimony.

The court noted that final criminal judgments are binding on civil courts with regard to the occurrence of the act, its legal description and the person responsible.

Since the criminal court had already established that the defendant publicly insulted and defamed the clinic owner, the civil court was not permitted to reconsider those facts.

After reviewing the case, the court concluded that the defendant’s conduct caused both material and moral damages.

Material damages included the costs incurred by the claimant in filing complaints and pursuing legal action, as well as business losses resulting from damage to the clinic’s reputation.

The court also recognised moral damages, including harm to the claimant’s dignity, reputation and emotional well-being caused by the public accusations.

Taking these factors into account, the court awarded Dh25,000 in compensation to cover both material and moral damages.

The ruling also requires the defendant to pay 5 per cent legal interest from the date the judgment becomes final until full payment, as well as court fees and expenses.

All other claims in the lawsuit were dismissed.