BANGKOK, April 24– Thailand’s Supreme Court on Friday agreed to take up a case against 44 politicians from the dissolved Move Forward Party, who face an ethics probe over their campaign to amend the country’s royal defamation law.
Ten of the 44 accused individuals were elected to the House of Representatives following the February polls and now serve as members of parliament (MPs) under the People’s Party banner.
In a statement, the court has ruled that the 10 MPs involved in the case are not required to suspend their duties pending a final judgment.
“There is no evidence indicating these individuals are continuing or repeating the alleged offenses that could cause further damage,” the court said, adding that these circumstances do not warrant their suspension from parliamentary roles.
It also warned that any violation of this condition could lead to an immediate alteration of the order. The respondents are allowed to file any formal objections within 14 days, with the first hearing scheduled for June 30, the court added.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission last month resolved to forward a petition to the Supreme Court for further deliberation after finding the 44 legislators guilty of serious ethical misconduct for co-signing a proposed bill to amend the lese-majeste law.
According to the commission, the motion put forward by the defendants demonstrated a failure to uphold and preserve the democratic system with the king as head of state stipulated in the Thai constitution.
The case stems from a 2021 legislative initiative spearheaded by then-Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat under the stated objective of protecting freedom of expression, including amendments to Section 112 of the Criminal Code.
The campaign faced a major legal setback in January 2024, when the Constitutional Court ruled that the party’s efforts to amend the royal defamation law amounted to an attempt to undermine the constitutional monarchy.
The court ordered an immediate halt to all related political activities.
This ruling directly paved the way for the court-ordered dissolution of the Move Forward Party in August 2024, which also carried 10-year political bans for 11 of its top executives.
Political petitioners leveraged the Constitutional Court’s verdict to file complaints with the commission, demanding accountability for the 44 MPs who jointly proposed the 2021 bill.
If the Supreme Court ultimately convicts the legislators of gross ethical violations, the group, including the 10 currently active MPs, could face severe penalties, including a lifetime ban from running in elections. (Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
