CIVIL JURISDICTION

Monetary & Subject Matter

• s65 SCA- <RM 1M

• No monetary limit
• Unlimited original jurisdiction to hear all matters.
• Cancellation and rectification of an instrument, guardianship, legitimacy, matrimonial proceeding, relating to immoveable
High Court property, administration of estate.
Exception to Monetary Limit
• Agreement-entered agreement in writing to try the action/
suit, although it exceeds the value limits of the court.
• Accumulated interest-if the principal sum is within the
monetary limit of the Session Court, and the interest
resulted in the total claim exceeding the monetary limit, the
action should commence in the Session Court-x applicable
for unliquidated damages.
• Relinquishment- section 67 & 69 SCA.
Territorial Jurisdiction (Sessions Court)
• Sec 59 Subordinate Courts Act 1948
• Local limits of jurisdiction-generally, the jurisdiction of a Sessions
Court is ‘Federation wide’ unless local limits have been assigned (sec
59 (2). The High Court Practice Direction 4 of 1993 set out a ‘local
limit’.
• PP v Abul Hassan Mohamed Rashid [2022] 1 LNS 1522, the court
held that as there is no assignment of local jurisdiction to the Kuala
Lumpur Sessions Court, s 59(2) comes into play. In other words, the
Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court may hear and determine any case
arising in any part of Peninsular Malaysia.
 Common/ coordinate Jurisdiction

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Local Jurisdiction

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Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction
Factors to determine jurisdiction
• Section 23(1)(a)-(d) Court of Judicature Act 1961
• To be read disjunctively (if none of conditions fulfilled- court in Malaysia has
no jurisdiction [Lam Kok Trading Co Pte Ltd])
• (a) where cause of action arose
• (b) where defendant or one of several defendant resides or having place
of business
• (c) the facts of which the proceedings are based exist or are alleged to
have occurred; or
• (d) any land the ownership of which is disputed is situated
• Forum conveniens: 1st instance court will look at where COA accrued.
23 (1)(a)
• Syarikat Nip v Safety and General Insurance Co Sdn Bhd [1975] 2 MLJ 115
• Sova Bhd v Kasih Sayang Realty Sdn Bhd [1988] 2 MLJ 268
• Bank Bumiputra Malaysia Bhd v Melewar Holdings Sdn Bhd [1990] 1 CLJ 1246

• Malayan Banking Berhad v International Tin Council [1989] 3 MLJ 286

23(1)(b)
• Mee Ying v Che Jah [1992] 2 MLJ 263
• Choong Sheng Development Sdn Bhd v Corak Nakhoda Sdn Bhd [2012] 2 MLJ 143
• Cita Marine Sdn Bhd v Progressive Insurance Berhad [2001] 1 MLJ 81
• Apex Marble Sdn Bhd & Anor v Leong Tat Yan [2018] 7 MLJ 84
• Malaysian Assurance Alliance Bhd v Comsa Properties Sdn Bhd [2013] 1 CLJ 69

23(1)(c) • Matchplan (M) Sdn Bhd v William D Sinrich [2004] 2 MLJ 424
Local Jurisdiction
• Sec 3 CJA : "local jurisdiction" means -
(a) in the case of the High Court in Malaya, the territory comprised in the States
of Malaya, namely, Johore, Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang,
Penang, Perak, Perlis, Selangor, Terengganu and the Federal Territory of Kuala
Lumpur; and
(b) in the case of the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak, the territory comprised in
the States of Sabah, Sarawak and the Federal Territory of Labuan,
including, in either case, the territorial waters and the air
space above those States and the territorial waters;

• Local jurisdiction means the territorial jurisdiction of the High Court. It means,
High Court in Malaya cannot try case derived from Sabah & Sarawak even though
they have the concurrent jurisdiction.
Ousting the Jurisdiction
• Elf Petroleum v Winelf Petroleum [1986] 1 MLJ 177
• Bank of China v Ngan Ching Wen [2011] 2 MLJ 645
• MKP Capital Bhd v WLS (Oversea Projects) Ltd [2013] 8 MLJ 608
• ISC Technology Sdn Bhd v Premium Systems Technology Pte
Ltd [2008] 7 CLJ 239
Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction
• Requires leave of the court-pre-condition of service out of
jurisdiction.
• Order 11 rule 1
• Application for leave (service out of jurisdiction):
• The writ of Summon and order must be served on the defendant
residing abroad-mode of service in accordance with the law of the
country-see order 11 rule 5