Civil Litigation Roadmap in Malaysia: Step-by-Step Guide

A one-page visual guide to the Malaysian civil court process, from letter of demand to final judgment.

(by Elisa Ng)

Understanding how a civil case progresses through the Malaysian courts can feel daunting for students, junior lawyers or businesses encountering litigation for the first time. From the first letter of demand to the eventual court judgment, civil litigation involves a series of procedural steps with strict timelines under the Court rules.

To make this process easier to follow, we’ve created a Civil Litigation Roadmap (First Instance), a bigh-level one-page visual guide that sets out the typical stages of a civil case in the High Court, Sessions Court or Magistrates’ Court.

This roadmap provides a high-level overview of:

• Key stages of a civil claim in Malaysia

• Typical timelines for pleadings, pre-trial case management and trial

• Interlocutory applications such as injunctions, summary judgment and striking out

The infographic below was prepared by Elisa Ng, our legal intern, as part of her internship project. Elisa recently completed her LLB and will soon embark on her CLP, and we thank her for this clear and practical contribution.

This Civil Litigation Roadmap is designed as a primer for students, junior lawyers,and non-litigators who wish to better understand the Malaysian civil litigation process at a glance.