BANGKOK, Oct 2 – Thailand’s Constitution Court today begins a hearing on a petition by senators and Democrat MPs seeking an injunction of the Budget Bill, which was passed in the final reading by Parliament.
The 112 senators and Democrat MPs have asked the Constitution Court to rule on whether Articles 27 and 28 of the 2014 Budget Bill, concerning allocations to the Judiciary Office, Administrative Court Office and National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), breach the Constitution.
The chairman of the Lower House’s budget scrutiny committee, and representatives of the Budget Bureau, Administrative Court Office, Judiciary Office and NACC will be invited to appear before the Constitution Court judges to give their respective clarifications.
Also on the Constitution Court’s agenda is a petition by senators, led by Gen Somjet Boonthanom and Rossana Tositrakul, on a bill to amend the Constitution.
The senators asked the court to rule whether the amended article requiring an election of Upper House members is against Section 68 of the Constitution and instructed the prime minister to not submit the bill for royal endorsement.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra nonetheless has signed and forwarded the bill to His Majesty the King for his approval.
Police were instructed to be on full alert at the Constitution Court Office on Chaengwattana Road today amid reports of demonstrations by certain civil society groups.
If the protests escalate, the judges may move to another office near the Pahurat area, an informed source said.
In practice, the administrative branch is subject to submit a bill, passed by Parliament, for royal endorsement – a process which takes 90 days.
Since the bill on charter amendment is pending the Constitution Court’s decision, His Majesty’s Principal Private Secretary Office will possibly choose to wait for the court’s ruling which should not take more than 90 days, according to a public law specialist.
