Court reduces Dh1 million compensation claim following insults in group chat.
Dubai: The Dubai Court of First Instance has ordered a man to pay Dh20,000 in compensation after being convicted of insulting another individual through messages shared in a WhatsApp group.
The ruling, delivered in a public session on February 25, 2026, followed a final criminal judgment that had previously found the defendant guilty of using information technology to direct defamatory and insulting remarks at the claimant.
Criminal conviction preceded civil claim
Court records indicate that the dispute arose from messages sent between June and July 2025, in which the defendant posted offensive comments about the claimant in a WhatsApp group chat.
The offensive messages included statements such as: “Tell him on my behalf that he is stupid…,” “They are all a group of idiots…,” and “We have a common predator.”
The defendant was convicted and fined Dh5,000. In addition, the criminal court ordered the confiscation of the device used in the offense, the deletion of the offensive content, and imposed a three-month ban on the defendant from using any information network. The judgment became final after no appeal was filed within the legally prescribed period.
Following the final criminal conviction, the claimant filed a civil lawsuit seeking Dh1 million in compensation for material and moral damages, along with 9 per cent legal interest from the date of filing until full settlement.
Claims of financial and moral harm
The claimant contended that the offensive messages harmed his professional reputation, caused psychological distress, and led to financial losses, including the alleged cancellation of his employment contract and lost income. He also sought reimbursement for expenses incurred in pursuing the criminal case.
However, the court observed that the document presented regarding the cancellation of the claimant’s work permit was dated April 2024, predating the incident in question. The claimant also failed to provide adequate evidence of lost income or verified legal expenses directly resulting from the defendant’s actions.
Court bound by criminal judgment
In its ruling, the court cited provisions of the civil transactions law, noting that “any harm caused to another obliges the perpetrator to compensate the damage,” including moral harm such as injury to reputation, dignity, and social standing.
The court also emphasized the binding effect of final criminal judgments in civil cases, stating that once a criminal court conclusively establishes fault and liability, the civil court cannot reconsider those findings.
While the court concluded that the defendant’s actions amounted to unlawful conduct causing moral damage, including harm to reputation and emotional distress, it determined that the evidence presented did not substantiate the full extent of the material losses claimed.
Compensation and Interest
Accordingly, the court awarded Dh20,000 in compensation for both material and moral damages.
The court also ordered the defendant to pay legal interest at an annual rate of 5 per cent, calculated from the date the judgment became final until full settlement, in accordance with established judicial principles of the Dubai Court of Cassation. Additionally, the defendant was required to cover court costs and Dh300 in legal fees.
