In a recent ruling, the Abu Dhabi Family and Civil Administrative Courts dismissed a claim made by a teacher seeking an additional AED 70,000 in damages for alleged defamation and slander by the owner of a hotel apartment. The court maintained that the previously awarded temporary compensation of AED 51,000 was sufficient to address the impact on the teacher’s reputation and standing, especially as there was no evidence presented to support the escalation of the damage.
Background of the Case
The dispute began when the teacher, after booking a hotel apartment through a room reservation website for a family holiday, discovered that the accommodation did not match the advertised specifications. Following his complaint lodged via the booking platform, he reported receiving slanderous messages from the apartment owner through WhatsApp. These messages were seen by some of his acquaintances, including parents and students from the school where he works.
Initial Rulings and Appeals
The teacher initially won a verdict in a criminal court that mandated the apartment owner to pay AED 51,000 as temporary compensation. However, the defendant submitted a response memorandum seeking the dismissal of the teacher’s additional civil claims.
Court’s Reasoning
The court elaborated that according to criminal procedure law, a definitive criminal ruling carries weight in establishing the occurrence of the act underlying both the civil and criminal cases, as well as describing its legal nature and attributing it to the responsible party. The court noted that the apartment owner had indeed been convicted and ordered to pay the temporary damages to the teacher, a decision that had been upheld on appeal with no further recourse available.
Final Decision
Consequently, the court concluded that the issues of liability and the teacher’s entitlement to compensation were settled by a final ruling. The current case was limited to assessing whether the teacher should be awarded any supplementary damages. The court determined that the previously granted temporary compensation of AED 51,000 was adequate for remedying the harm suffered by the teacher, which included damage to his reputation and the associated emotional distress, especially since the escalation of harm had not been substantiated.
As a result, the court dismissed the additional claim for damages and ordered the teacher to bear the costs of the proceedings, in accordance with Article 133 of the Civil Procedure Law.