Justice Minister says he thinks defendants should be held to be innocent until proven guilty.
PUBLISHED: 4 Jul 2024 at 20: 28
According to Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong, the Ministry of Justice is proposing to change the laws requiring offenders in social situations to be kept in their homes while their trial is pending.
According to Pol Col Tawee, the government is currently reviewing Area 89/1 of a governmental regulation that would give judges the option to sentence suspects in social cases.
He said that offenders in such cases may be detained in their homes if the proposed article were to be approved. The government believes that defendants should be held innocent until proven guilty.
There are now 25 cases involving Part 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lese- majoreste law, in which suspects are awaiting test or interesting convictions and have been denied bail.
A judgment under Part 112 carries a sentence of between 3 and 15 years. Judges often cite the intensity of the crime, based on the words, as the reason for denying loan.
The justice secretary previously stated that the demand for more technological checking was also intended to combat persistent overcrowding in the nation’s prisons.
Thailand’s prison can provide 180, 000 inmates, but there are already 280, 000 people detained in Thai jails — 50, 000 of whom are awaiting test.
After being questioned by Move Forward Party MP Sasinan Thamnithinan about progress being made in the formal investigation into the death of political advocate Netiporn Saneysangkhom, also known as Boong Thalu Wang, who was on a hunger strike, Pol Col Tawee made the announcement on Thursday.
According to Ms Sasinan, Netiporn’s suicide showed that the treatment of sick prisoners by the Department of Corrections was poor.
” How will the office take role? What was the effect of the research? Will there be any changes made to the government to strengthen detainee treatment? she asked in the House.
Pol Col Tawee disputed Ms Sasinan’s state of poor treatment, saying the district’s treatment of prisoners was in line with international norms.
In 2023, he said, 750 captives died in confinement, but that was lower than the average of about 1, 000 reported in past years.
Netiporn’s death sparked similarities with the cure former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra received before his release on parole, not to mention the controversy surrounding the treatment of mentally ill detainees.
Her demise and the starvation hit staged by two different high- profile activists, Tantawan” Tawan” Tuatulanon and Natthanon” Frank” Chaimahabud, have likewise reignited calls for immediate reform of the justice system.
In connection with an event at a royal parade in February, Ms. Tantawan and Mr. Natthanon are facing rebellion charges. Before being released on bail in later May, they spent 105 days in jail.
Despite attempts to revive her at Thammasat University Hospital, Netiporn was declared deceased on May 14. She had a heart attack shortly after 6am that morning, so she was taken to the Central Correctional Hospital for treatment.
Following last year’s assault on anti-government protesters, Netiporn launched a hunger strike to protest the arrest and prosecution of political activists.
While apparently starting to accept food and beverages once more in April, her situation remained deteriorating as a result of her hunger strike having worsened her already severe medical conditions, including anaemia and enlarged legs.
But, prison officials claimed Netiporn continued to object to pills and medical treatments prescribed by doctors.