JUDGMENTS

Civil Appeal No. 7 of 2011

[Judgment for specific performance of transfer of land by legal owners to purchasers from contractor who became entitled to that land from owners upon fulfilment of certain conditions –failure of conditions- doubt as to fault, as between contractor and owner, for failure – questions of fact and construction – whether specific performance was rightly ordered – appropriate directions for trial]

Zaliah binti Kurus, Puasa binti Haji Kasim v Hj Ahmad Bujang Bin Abdullah, Hadiah Binti Hj Abd Rahim

COACV/7/2011

Decision date: 8 Dec 2011
Civil Appeal No. 12 of 2011

[Order 14 proceedings taken by bank against company debtor and the guarantor. Summary judgment in the bank’s favour granted by the judge. On appeal by the debtor and the guarantor Certificate of indebtedness held to be conclusive of the amount owed. Submission that leave to defend should be given because the guarantor alleges he signed a settlement agreement because of undue influence rejected as the suggestion of undue influence was held to be unmeritorious and a sham. Appeal dismissed with indemnity costs]

Garnet Sdn Bhd, Lester Lee Kok Wah v Baiduri Bank Berhad

COACV/12/2011

Decision date: 8 Dec 2011
Civil Appeal No. 17 of 2011

[Action in tort arising from actions of defendants in participating in decision to recommend dismissal of plaintiff from Royal Brunei Armed Forces – constitutional questions – decision of His Majesty the Sultan to dismiss the plaintiff – neither the decision nor its correctness capable of being questioned – decision made in exercise of arbitrary discretion – action bound to fail Costs – Attorney-General’s right to costs]

Decision date: 29 Nov 2011
Civil Appeal No. 6 of 2011

[Companies winding up order under section 163 (a) and 162 (e) of the companies act. A winding up order will be made under a settled practice of the court if the facts under section 163 (a) are established unless good reason is shown not to make such an order]

Morisma Sdn Bhd, Wong Yep Seng v Perbadanan Tabung Amanah Islam Brunei (TAIB)

COACV/6/2011

Decision date: 10 Nov 2011
Civil Appeal No. 2 of 2011

[Lawyers instructed by bank to search the Bankruptcy Register for person with title Pengiran or Pg to whom they wished to advance money. Common knowledge that before marriage in Brunei such a person may use the title Awangku or Ak. Lawyers failed to search for Awangku or Aw. The person was bankrupt listed under title Ak. Lawyers informed bank that the person was not on Bankruptcy Register. Bank advanced money to bankrupt and nothing repaid. Judge held lawyers in breach of contract and negligent for failing to search with the skill and care expected of a reasonably competent and careful lawyer and awarded damages. Judge’s finding upheld on appeal.]

Decision date: 25 May 2011
Civil Appeal No. 1 of 2011

[Lawyers instructed by bank to search the Bankruptcy Register for person with title Pengiran or Pg to whom they wished to advance money. Common knowledge that before marriage in Brunei such a person may use the title Awangku or Ak. Lawyers failed to search for Awangku or Aw. The person was bankrupt listed under title Ak. Lawyers informed bank that the person was not on Bankruptcy Register. Bank advanced money to bankrupt and nothing repaid. Judge held lawyers in breach of contract and negligent for failing to search with the skill and care expected of a reasonably competent and careful lawyer and awarded damages. Judge’s finding upheld on appeal. ]

Decision date: 25 May 2011
Civil Appeal No. 2 of 2011

[Lawyers instructed by bank to search the Bankruptcy Register for person with title Pengiran or Pg to whom they wished to advance money. Common knowledge that before marriage in Brunei such a person may use the title Awangku or Ak. Lawyers failed to search for Awangku or Aw. The person was bankrupt listed under title Ak. Lawyers informed bank that the person was not on Bankruptcy Register. Bank advanced money to bankrupt and nothing repaid. Judge held lawyers in breach of contract and negligent for failing to search with the skill and care expected of a reasonably competent and careful lawyer and awarded damages. Judge’s finding upheld on appeal]

Hj Mohd Iskandar Zulkarnain bin Haji Omar Ali v Baiduri Bank Berhad

COACV/2/2011

Decision date: 25 May 2011
Civil Appeal No. 13 of 2010

[Whether the Lunacy Act, Chapter 48, is, with respect to the provisions of the Lunacy Acts 1890 to 1908, U.K., dealing with the administration of estates of persons of unsound mind, other provision made by a written law in force in Brunei within section 2 of the Application of Laws Act, Chapter 2 –whether the Lunacy Acts, England., are statutes of general application within section 2 – orders appropriate to be made under the Lunacy Acts, England]

Decision date: 24 May 2011
Civil Appeal No. 11 of 2010

[Deeds of assignment of development agreement and of leasehold rights by way of security – legal effect – assignor retains only equity of redemption – insufficient proprietary right to enable assignor to convey mortgaged property to another.
Contract – covenant not assign without consent – in context construed as permission to assign with prior consent – absence of consent
Ostensible authority of agent – absence of sufficient evidence ]

Ang Peng Chin v Perbadanan Tabung Amanah Islam Brunei

COACV/11/2010

Decision date: 6 Dec 2010
Civil Appeal No. 9 of 2010

[Approach of Court of Appeal to findings of fact based on acceptance by trial judge of oral evidence – advantage of trial judge who has seen and heard witness. ]

Imam Muhajir [In his personal capacity and as Administrator for the Estate of Waqingatul Ngadawiyah (Deceased)] v Shahul Hameed Jahir Hussain, Koperasi Serbaguna Mukim Lumapas Bhd

COACV/9/2010

Decision date: 27 Nov 2010
Civil Appeal No. 8 of 2010

[Evidence – whether bank’s certificate of money due was conclusive evidence. Whether ‘without prejudice’ correspondence admissible where there has been a concluded settlement.

A bank claimed money due and applied for summary judgment. The hearing of the application was adjourned with liberty to restore after a settlement had been entered into by the parties. The settlement agreement contained an admission of the debt and provided that if the debtors defaulted in performance of the terms of
the settlement they agreed to the bank’s entering summary judgment. The debtors defaulted and when the bank restored the application in relation to the original claim it sought to adduce evidence as to the settlement. When the defendants claimed that the settlement had been brought about by undue pressure, the bank sought to produce a ‘without prejudice’ letter to show that negotiations had been conducted at arms length through solicitors. The defendants applied to strike out the letter and other evidence relating to the settlement, claiming privilege. They also applied to strike out a certificate from the bank which, the bank claimed, was under its contract with the debtors conclusive evidence of the sum stated in the certificate to be due.]

Garnet Sdn Bhd, Lester Lee Kok Wah [Brunei Green I/C No. 50-689240] v Baiduri Bank Berhad

COACV/8/2010

Decision date: 27 Nov 2010
Civil Appeal No. 5 of 2010

[Assignment by Deed by a 3rd party to a creditor in respect of a debt. Issue — whether the original debt was released by the creditor. Whether the assignment is absolute or by way of charge only is nothing to the point. The debtor promisee may choose with whom he contracts and the burden of a contract may not be assigned to another without his agreement. The creditor did not release the original debt in the deed and the debtor was not a party to it. There was no evidence that the creditor agreed otherwise to release the original debt which
had not been satisfied. The creditor could therefore seek the money from either the debtor or the assignor but could only recover it once. Such recovery is performance of the contract]

Ong Tiong Oh v Supercrete Sdn Bhd

COACV/5/2010

Decision date: 25 Nov 2010
Civil Appeal No. 4 of 2009

[Evidence – Evidence Act, Cap 108, Section 114(g). The plaintiff invited the judge in his discretion to draw an adverse inference from the absence of a potential witness for the defence. The judge did not do so. Held on appeal: in the circumstances of the case the judge did not err. ]

Tan Poh Kien v Mikuni (B) Sdn Bhd

COACV/4/2009

Decision date: 18 Nov 2010
Civil Appeal No. 8 of 2009

[Construction of Participation Agreement. Creation of trust but no equitable assignment because specific performance excluded. Trustee correct party to sue. ]

Elsie Chong Suk Mee @Mrs Suresh Janardanan v RHB Bank (formerly known as United Malayan Banking Corp.)

COACV/8/2009

Decision date: 1 June 2010

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