Law report publisher sues Bar for breach of contract

KUALA LUMPUR: A leading publisher of law reports has sued the Malaysian Bar for breach of contract amounting to RM3.8 million for failing to facilitate lawyers in using its online services.

Lexisnexis Malaysia Sdn Bhd said the Bar had held negotiations for over a year to allow lawyers access to its law reports online. The Bar was supposed to pay the publisher from the annual subscription collected from the lawyers.

According to the statement of claim filed at the High Court registry here last month, both parties signed a contract on Feb 20 this year.

Under the terms of agreement, the Bar agreed to subscribe to Lexisnexis Malaysia’s services for five years and to pay the company RM1.3 million each year.

The Bar and its authorised users, with the exception of lawyers from Selangor, would have access to these services. FMT understands that Lexisnexis Malaysia had entered into a separate agreement with the Selangor Bar Committee.

Lexisnexis Malaysia said it was willing and able to perform the contract, and distributed 50 IDs to the various Bars in the peninsula.

It also claimed to have conducted roadshows in various states in collaboration with the Bar to explain its services to lawyers.

The Bar was supposed to table a motion at its annual general meeting in March to implement the plan, but Lexisnexis Malaysia said this was not done.

The company said the Bar brought the contract to an end in April, which resulted in the breach of agreement.

“The defendant acted capriciously and failed to act honestly and reasonably towards the plaintiff,” it said in the document sighted by FMT.

Lexisnexis Malaysia is claiming RM3.539 million in general damages and RM237,000 in special damages. - FMT