Judicial misconduct cases addressed by Supreme Court in Thailand
Supreme Court leaders review misconduct cases
On August 18, a meeting of the Committee of Judicial Affairs was held at Ratchaburi Direkrit Room, Justice Court Building on Ratchadamnoen Road. Presided over by Supreme Court President Chanakarn Theeravejpolkul, the committee addressed several significant judicial misconduct cases.
The committee reviewed a report on a judicial official accused of violating ethical standards by filing an unjustified lawsuit against a fellow judicial committee member. The offence was deemed a minor disciplinary issue, with a recommendation for a reprimand. However, since the official had already left service, the punishment was waived.
In another case, a judicial official faced allegations of soliciting money from a party involved in a lawsuit. This action was considered a severe breach of duty and ethics, leading to the decision for dismissal from service.
The case involved a former ministerial leader of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), who claimed that a judge demanded 175 million baht (US$5.28 million), later reduced to several million, to assist in an appellate case.
This came after the leader and associates received a prison sentence without suspension for political protest offences. The investigation findings will be forwarded to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).
A further investigation involved a senior judge accused of sexual harassment, physical assault, and damaging a subordinate’s property. These actions were deemed highly inappropriate and led to the recommendation for the judge’s dismissal.
The incident reportedly occurred on a second-class sleeper train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, which was chartered for a seminar in northern Thailand. The female victim filed a police report, and the issue was escalated to the judicial committee.
Lastly, the committee considered a case where a judge authorised temporary release during an appeal, despite a prior rejection by the appellate court. To ensure thorough understanding and factual accuracy, an investigation into the financial transactions of the accused and their associates was recommended.
It was questioned whether the order was influenced by benefits received from the involved parties. The judge in question was the same person dismissed earlier for the train harassment incident, reported KhaoSod.
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