Al Ain Civil Court Orders Woman To Pay Dh10,000 For Social Media Insults

The Al Ain Civil, Commercial and Administrative Cases Court has ordered a woman to pay Dh10,000 in compensation to another woman for insulting her on social media and damaging her reputation.

The court found that the insults had caused moral harm by undermining the victim’s dignity, social standing and professional reputation, as well as exposing her to psychological distress and embarrassment in front of others.

The plaintiff had initially filed a civil lawsuit seeking Dh35,000 in compensation for material and moral damages, in addition to legal fees and expenses. She alleged that the defendant had used offensive language on social media that harmed her dignity and reputation.

The incident had previously resulted in criminal proceedings, in which the defendant was sentenced to one month in prison, with the sentence suspended for three years, and fined Dh10,000.

The defendant appealed against the criminal judgment. Although the Court of Appeal accepted the appeal on procedural grounds, it rejected the challenge on its merits and upheld the original ruling. The judgment subsequently became final after no further challenge was filed.

In the civil proceedings, the plaintiff maintained that the defendant’s conduct had damaged her personal dignity, social standing and professional reputation, while also causing psychological distress and embarrassment in the presence of others.

After considering the harm suffered, the court assessed the appropriate compensation for the plaintiff’s moral damages at Dh10,000.