Portfolio
This is a selection of self-published legal explainers, written from real court decisions and legal developments. They are not client work — but they demonstrate how Justiciable approaches legal communication: grounded in facts, precise in language, and clear enough for professionals and non-lawyers alike. To read more, click on the titles.
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When a Brother Holds a Bungalow on Trust for His Sisters
A family bungalow registered in one name was, in law, held on trust for three siblings. After more than fifteen years of deadlock, the High Court ordered it sold and the proceeds divided equally.
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The Pardon and the Process
Najib Razak has been granted a conditional pardon and will serve the remainder of his SRC sentence under house arrest until August 2028. The Pardons Board met and advised first — the process the High Court said was required when it dismissed his earlier bid.
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The Umrah Packages, the Wound-Up Company, and the RM434,250 Cheating Case
A travel company director collected RM434,250 from 202 would-be pilgrims through a company that had already been wound up. The Court of Appeal upheld his conviction but cut his sentence from 10 years to five.
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The Bank, the Wrong Account, and the RM1.16 Million Transfer
An online banking system required both a recipient’s name and account number, but it never checked whether the two matched. When the money went to the wrong account, the High Court held that the bank could not rely on automation to escape its duty of care.
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The Land Promises, the Businessman, and the RM1.57 Million Question
Seventeen buyers paid for land that was never the seller’s to sell. A Sessions Court ordered Datuk Red, his company, and another defendant to pay RM1.57 million, finding that fraud and deceit had been proven.
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Christy Ng and the RM180,000 Defamation Judgment
A pseudonymous Threads account posted defamatory allegations about fashion entrepreneur Christy Ng. In assessing damages, the High Court did not stop at the post — it looked at everything the defendant did after publication and awarded RM180,000.
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Kedah, the Pool Betting Licences, and the Constitutional Boundary It Could Not Cross
Kedah’s decision to stop renewing premises licences for lottery and pool betting outlets triggered a constitutional contest over the limits of state power. The Federal Court’s refusal of leave leaves intact the Court of Appeal’s 2–1 ruling that a state cannot use local licensing authority to prohibit an activity Parliament has placed under federal control.
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The Daughter, the Conversion, and the Inheritance the Law Would Not Deny Her
When a Muslim convert was excluded from her late father’s estate distribution, the Court of Appeal affirmed what the High Court had already decided: the Distribution Act 1958 does not bar a child from inheriting based on religion. The statutory exclusion applies to the deceased’s faith, not the beneficiary’s.
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A First‑Time Blood Donor, a Torn Artery, and the High Court’s Negligence Ruling
A first‑time blood donor suffered a torn artery during a routine venepuncture and spent eight years seeking legal redress. The High Court’s decision clarifies that expert evidence is not always required in medical negligence claims — sometimes the injury speaks for itself.
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Petronas, Sarawak, and the Petroleum Rights the Law Has Yet to Settle
Petronas has been granted leave to challenge several Sarawak petroleum laws, with a full hearing tentatively set for January 2027. The case will test the division of regulatory authority between the Federation and the Borneo states — and the legal effect of Malaysia’s founding bargains.
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The Friendly Loan, the Litecoin, and the Debt the Law Would Not Let Him Collect Twice”
Ong Seow Lee lent RM70,000 to a friend. The friend repaid him in Litecoin — 50 units, then worth about RM87,000. Ong accepted the crypto, then sued for cash. The Court of Appeal said a creditor who knowingly accepts cryptocurrency as repayment cannot later demand the same debt in cash.
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The Auction Buyer, the Strata Arrears, and the Bridge the Law Would Not Cross
Harjinder Singh bought a strata unit at a court auction, only to be handed a bill for nearly RM270,000 in arrears from a previous owner. The High Court ruled that auction buyers are not “successors-in-title” and cannot be forced to pay historical strata debts.
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Wong Jun Kit and the Constructive Dismissal
After his father died, Wong Jun Kit challenged the will. Consequently, his stepmother, a company director, slashed his salary. The Industrial Court awarded him approximately RM1 million for constructive dismissal. The Federal Court has now refused leave to appeal, bringing the five-year dispute to a close.
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K Anuradha and the Sham Agreement
When K Anuradha, a widow with two children, borrowed RM44,000, she was charged 7 percent monthly interest and made to sign a sale‑and‑purchase agreement for her house. The Court of Appeal has now affirmed that the agreement was a sham to mask an illegal moneylending transaction, and ordered the house returned.
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Trinity Advance and the Recycled Evidence
Trinity Advance Sdn Bhd sued Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd for RM9 million after its debt collection contract was terminated. The High Court found it had submitted recycled letters and photographs from previous years as proof of current work. The suit was dismissed. The court allowed Indah Water’s counterclaim, ordering Trinity Advance to pay RM806,925 instead.
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Woon Kim Choy and Anor: When a Director is Also a Workman
The Federal Court awarded about RM2 million to two founding shareholders and directors who were found to have been unfairly dismissed – after a five‑year legal battle that came down to a single question: can a director also be an employee?
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Woon Kim Choy and Anor: The Full Analysis
After a majority‑led EGM removed them as directors, the company maintained they were never employees. The Federal Court disagreed, upholding an award of RM2 million and affirming that directors can be “workmen” under the Industrial Relations Act 1967.
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The Orang Asli Villagers and Their Ancestral Right
When seven Orang Asli villagers sued a company for destroying their ancestral graves, the Federal Court ruled that customary land rights survive relocation and cannot be extinguished by a commercial lease. The decision is a landmark affirmation that indigenous dignity and constitutional protections extend to burial grounds, even when titles change hands.
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Capital City Property and the Corporate Veil
A developer was sued alongside a related tenant for unpaid rent. The Court of Appeal set aside the High Court’s decision to pierce the corporate veil, ruling that control and injustice are not enough. Actual fraud or unconscionable conduct must be proved.
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TNB and the Meter‑Tampering Claim
A wood‑based company was caught tampering with its electricity meter. The court ordered it to pay TNB RM476,000 for the unmetered consumption.
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Kuhendran and the Hostile Workplace
A senior credit specialist complained about a bullying boss for years. The company ignored him, then fired him. The Industrial Court awarded RM153,200 and found the dismissal retaliatory.
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Lai Leong Peng and the Insurance Dispute
A woman’s Porsche was declared a total loss, but her insurer refused to pay, citing unpaid customs duties. The High Court awarded RM1.245 million, finding the insurer’s demands were misguided and in bad faith.
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Simon Momoh and the Unlawful Detention
A Nigerian man served his one‑day sentence for drink driving but was detained for 40 days. The High Court awarded RM675,000 in damages for unlawful confinement.
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Zschimmer & Schwarz and the Persons Unknown
A German company was deceived into transferring RM600,000 to fraudsters using fake emails and intercepted courier documents. The Malaysian High Court responded with landmark orders against “Persons Unknown” — including a self‑identification order.
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Chan Yan Li and the Bank’s Negligence
A bank customer lost RM166,000 from an account she had held for over twenty years. The Sessions Court held the bank liable for failing to monitor her accounts.
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How Zheng Hong and the Judicial Review Appeal
A pilot retrenched during the pandemic won his case at the Court of Appeal — but the Federal Court has now granted AirAsia leave to appeal.
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Prima Facie and the Singer’s Acquittal
Emily Leong spent two years on remand for drug trafficking. She walked free when the prosecution failed to make a prima facie case.
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The Constitution’s Rules and the House Arrest Bid
A judicial review tested whether a royal addendum could bypass the Pardons Board. The High Court said no.
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Geron Ali and the Defence of Unsound Mind
Driven by a divine command, a man beheaded his neighbour and his own daughter. The law had to decide whether his delusion absolved him of murder.
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Bonda Kui and the Mistake of Fact
A 50‑year‑old woman killed what she believed was a flesh‑eating ghost. The High Court ruled her honest mistake of fact excused the homicide.