4th female Supreme Court president in Thai history to be appointed

Chanakarn Theeravechpolkul is set to become the 4th female president of Thailand’s Supreme Court on October 1. This historic appointment marks a dramatic reversal in the traditionally male-dominated judiciary.

On July 8, the Judicial Commission unanimously voted to appoint Chanakarn as the 50th chief of the country’s top court. She will succeed Anocha Chevitsophon, the third woman to hold the position, whose term ends on September 30.

Currently serving as the president of the Supreme Court’s Juvenile and Family Division, Chanakarn’s impressive career includes roles such as vice president of the Court of Appeal’s Region 9, deputy chief justice of the Court of Appeal for Specialised Cases, and deputy chief justice of the Bangkok South Civil Court. She began her journey at the Phitsanulok Provincial Court and ascended through various key judicial positions.

Chanakarn holds a bachelor’s degree in law from Thammasat University and has passed the Thai bar exam. Since the judiciary’s establishment in 1882, only three women have previously held the Supreme Court’s highest office: Methinee Chalothorn, Piyakul Boonperm, and Anocha Chevitsophon. Methinee, the trailblazer, became the first female president in 2020, followed by Piyakul in 2021, and Anocha in 2023.

Methinee, with a master’s degree in justice administration from Thammasat University, shattered a century-old tradition of male leadership. Piyakul, a distinguished graduate of Ramkhamhaeng University, continued the legacy, and Anocha, a Chulalongkorn University alumna, cemented the trend.

The Supreme Court president, the head of Thailand’s judiciary, holds ultimate authority over the nation’s courts. Established in 1885, the Supreme Court, or Dika, carries a historical connection with the monarchy, signifying the pursuit of the royal prerogative to alleviate complainants’ hardships, reported Thai PBS World.

In related news, the Supreme Administrative Court has upheld a previous ruling by the Central Administrative Court, greenlighting the Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRT) to ink a deal with Bangkok Expressway and Metro Public Company (BEM) for the Orange Line extension from Bang Khun Non to Min Buri.