Critics slam Thai justice system
- Published: 25/03/2011 at 12:00 AM
- Newspaper section: News
Critics are adamant injustice and inequality remain the norm in Thai society although the Justice Ministry insists the situation for the poor has improved.
Somkiat Tangkitvanich, vice president of the Thailand Development Research Institute, said Thai governments had invested heavily in the justice system but it was inefficient.
Inequalities continued and Thai people did not have equal access to the justice system, said the academic at a seminar marking the ministry's 119th anniversary yesterday.
"The cases in which the poor are wrongdoers are judged quickly while those of the rich proceed slowly," he said.
Thailand used more resources and manpower to maintain its criminal justice system than other countries. In Thailand, the judicial personnel to population ratio is 400:100,000.
About 13,000 cases reach the courts annually and the courts are overloaded with work.
The number of prisoners outstrips the capacity of jails under the Corrections Department by 70%.
Somchai Hormla-or, secretary-general of the Human Rights and Development Foundation, said criticism of double standards in the justice system reflected injustice in Thailand. Law professionals were taught that legal and social justice were different matters. Therefore, the law did not bring about fairness and well-being for ordinary people.
People had to bow to the law that sometimes infringed on their individual rights, he claimed.
"If justice existed, the courts would not accept a coup and any law that coup makers issued because that severely violates the constitution which is the highest law," Mr Somchai said.
He said volunteer lawyers who represented the underprivileged were inexperienced; therefore, the prisons were occupied by the poor who had no access to justice.
Justice Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga said he was taking proactive approaches to offer justice to the people. His ministry through its justice fund was spending 36 million baht on paying for the lawsuits of 871 cheated rice farmers from many provinces.
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