PUBLISHED: 22 Jan 2025 at 04 :00
The government yesterday approved an amendment to the Military Court Act to reduce municipal military authorities and give non-military individuals the right to report cases in the Military Court.
Deputy state official Karom Phonphonklang said yesterday that the article to the Military Court Act coincides with the Royal Decree, which sets clear rules regarding the power and control of the Military Court.
Under the existing law, just military prosecutors or victims under the defense court’s jurisdiction– quite as military officers, cadets or civilians employed by the martial– can file legal cases in the Military Court.
Sufferers who are not under the authority of the Military Court may initiate legal cases freely in both peace and wartime. The Ministry of Defence has proposed an amendment to the work to help non-military members to report cases in the Military Court and to have the decisions reviewed by higher authorities.
Important details of the modifications include dissolving the municipal military courts under the newly defined authority of the Military Court as stated in the Royal Decree. The proposed amendment also allows for Military Court rulings issued during wartime and during the imposition of martial law to be made appealable. The amendments are consistent with Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.