Dubai court obliges man to pay Dhs80,000 for defaming lawyer

The Civil Court in Dubai ordered an Arab national to pay Dhs80,000 in compensation to a lawyer, after convicting him of defaming the lawyer via social media, by publishing his photo without his consent and attaching it with phrases which the court deemed as insult, slander, and an invasion of privacy.

The court also ordered the deletion of the offensive content and banned him from using the information network for three months. The Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation upheld the ruling, making it final and conclusive.

The details date back to when the lawyer filed a civil lawsuit demanding that the Arab national pay Dhs5 million in compensation for the material and moral damages he suffered as a result of the incident.

The Court also ordered him to pay legal interest at a rate of 5% from the date the judgment became final until full payment, in addition to court fees, expenses, and legal fees.

According to the case documents, the incident occurred in November 2024 when the appellee published photographs of the plaintiff and others via social media, and attached them with a phrase describing them as exploiting community figures under the guise of volunteering, which prompted the lawyer to file a criminal complaint that ended with the conviction of the appellee.

The court clarified that the conclusive criminal judgment definitively proved the appellee's commission of insult, slander, and invasion of privacy using information technology, which prevents re-discussion of the crime before the Civil Court.

The court also rejected the appellee's argument that Dubai courts lacked jurisdiction to hear the case, affirming that compensation claims may be filed before the court within whose jurisdiction the damage occurred.