Court of Appeal

Bankruptcy and Directors: Vacating Seat and Potential Illegality

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There can be legal repercussions to a company when one of its directors is adjudged bankrupt. It is common in the constitution or articles of association to provide that the office of the director will become vacant if the director becomes bankrupt. I set out below three interesting legal issues that arise from bankruptcy and directors.

First, I will deal with the potential adverse impact of bankruptcy on directors’ resolutions and legal proceedings. This in light of the recent Court of Appeal decision in Sazean Engineering & Construction Sdn Bhd v Bumi Bersatu Resources Sdn Bhd [2018] 5 AMR 443; [2018] MLJU 839. This decision was under the Companies Act 1965 (CA 1965). Secondly, I interpret these issues in light of the Companies Act 2016 (CA 2016). Thirdly, potential ways to overcome such arguments. Continue reading →

Case Update: Federal Court decides whether punishable misconduct in employment law is distinguishable from criminal conduct

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In this Case Update series, I share summaries of recent Malaysian court decisions to explore the current approach taken by the courts when deciding on employment-related issues. You can find all the posts in the series by clicking here, including case updates on other legal areas by TheMalaysianLawyer co-founder Lee Shih.

Misconduct is one of the reasons which would qualify as “just cause” for an employer to dismiss an employee.

However, it’s not straightforward to pin down an exact definition of what constitutes “misconduct”. Even in instances where actions can be broadly categorised as misconduct, there is often confusion as to whether —

  • a misconduct is serious enough to justify dismissal instead of a lighter sanction; and
  • the standards to be applied to misconduct in the context of employment law are the same as those in respect of criminal wrongdoing.

This potential for confusion was illustrated in a recent case dealing with an employee dismissal for misconduct which went from the Industrial Court (“IC”) through to the High Court (“HC”), Court of Appeal (“COA”), and was ultimately decided by the Federal Court (“FC”). The issues were fully considered in the recent grounds of judgment of the FC dated 8 January 2018 in Akira Sales & Services (M) Sdn Bhd v Nadiah Zee binti Abdullah and Another Appeal (Federal Court Civil Appeal Nos. 01-15-05/2016 and 01-16-05/2016).

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Case Update: Federal Court Decides on Extent of Directors’ Duties – Key Lessons for Directors

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The Federal Court issued its grounds of judgment in the Tengku Dato’ Ibrahim Petra bin Tengku Indra Petra v Petra Perdana Berhad case. This is a significant decision explaining the scope of directors’ duties. It gives guidance on when a director acts in the best interest of the company and the discretion afforded to a director when the director makes a business judgment.

This case update will set out the brief background facts of the case and the legal principles that were decided by the Federal Court.  I also set out the key takeaways and points that directors should take note of. Continue reading →

Case Update: Court of Appeal considers whether an employer can dismiss an employee for insubordination

Marcus van GeyzelLeave a comment

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In this Case Update series, I share summaries of recent Malaysian court decisions to explore the current approach taken by the courts when deciding on employment-related issues. You can find all the posts in the series by clicking here, including case updates on other legal areas by TheMalaysianLawyer co-founder Lee Shih.

Insubordination is where an employee wilfully disobeys or ignores an employer’s legitimate instructions. Malaysia’s Industrial Court has established via many previous decisions that insubordination is capable of being a serious misconduct which is sufficient to destroy the employment relationship and justify a dismissal.

However, as is the case for employee misconduct in general, not all instances of insubordination will amount to just cause for an employer to dismiss an employee. The Court of Appeal considered this issue in Ngiam Geok Mooi v. Pacific World Destination East Sdn Bhd [2016] 6 CLJ 395.

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10 Must-Read Appellate Advocacy Tips: The Malaysian Perspective

Lee ShihLeave a comment

I have set out below 10 appellate advocacy tips. They focus on the skills of arguing before the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court.

Some of these lessons have been passed down from senior counsel I have worked with. Some are based from my own observations or tips gleamed from the judiciary at various conferences. I cannot take credit for these tips but I do hope that they came in useful. Any errors are my own.

Ultimately, there is no substitute for being on your feet, making your submissions, learning from each experience and developing your own style.

(Photo by: Shane Mahood/USA Network)
(Photo by: Shane Mahood/USA Network)

Read about knowing the battlefield, winning the battle through written advocacy, starting strong in your oral advocacy and building your reputation.

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