Thai Police warned not to distribute copies of court’s warrant

[webfact]

Police warned not to distribute copies of court’s warrant



BANGKOK: -- The police were reprimanded by the Criminal Court Tuesday for distributing copies of the court’s warrant for the arrest of protest leader Suthep Thuagsuban to members of the public.

Hundreds of copies of the arrest warrant were air-dropped by a police helicopter into the protest sites on Tuesday.

The Ratchadapisek Criminal Court summoned Pol Col Pong Singmurin, superintendent of Thung Song Hong police, for an enquiry about the unlawful distribution of the arrest warrant which was deemed as a contempt of the court.

The court said that the warrant was only meant for the specific individual facing charges and was not meant for unauthorized persons.

The court then imposed a ban on the distribution of arrest warrants to unauthorized persons and notified the National Police Office to observe the ban.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/police-warned-distribute-copies-courts-warrant/

-- Thai PBS 2013-12-04

[noikrit]

A novel way of serving someone an arrest warrant ....

[Thait Spot]

What! No punishment?

No wonder people feel they can do what they want

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Bender]

So let me guess, hum this amazing mistake will certainly nullify the arrest warrant?

Suthep can again walk free...

... truelly a 3rd world country's trick

[Thai at Heart]

It's contempt of court to distribute an arrest warrant?

And what did the first protestors who were in sutheps proximity who received the paper do?

Nothing. Who is in contempt of who's court.

This country sometimes has no brain.

[canman]

And yet it would seem it is OK to publish the arrest warrant in a newspaper where many 10's of thousands more will see it

[JoeThePoster]

They shoulda made paper cranes of those warrants before dropping them.

[Jim walker]

Are there any corrupt politicians ever arrested or serve any time in prison in Thailand.

[GeorgeO]

And yet it would seem it is OK to publish the arrest warrant in a newspaper where many 10's of thousands more will see it

I have no doubt that the court would have also reprimanded them on that point, since that also clearly constitutes contempt of court.

Any warrant that is issued by the courts is recorded as a single document, and the record is not complete until the details of the service of the warrant are returned to the courts; thus, no copies are ever made of the document since that could complicate the procedure and potentially forewarn someone that they have been targeted for warrant service.

This is a very good precedent by the courts in Thailand, as we are unlikely to see any of these documents presented in the press in the future. Furthermore, this could be the forerunner to disposing of names and pictures of "accused" persons in the newspapers.

In the UK, where I undertook my legal studies, the solicitor of any accused person who had been named, or whose photograph had appeared, in the press, would stand before the judge and call for a dismissal on the grounds that the case against his client had been prejudiced. The court would immediately agree and dismiss the proceedings, whilst also handing down a clear reprimand to the newspaper concerned.

All that it would take here in Thailand is for an astute law firm to start pressing for dismissals on the same grounds and we could well see an end to these nonsensical finger-pointing photos in the press of people who have not yet been tried and convicted. I'm not against freeing those who are clearly engaging in criminal acts, but they should remain anonymous until they have been found guilty.

And while we're at it, what the hell are the press doing publishing photographs, names and addresses of victims? Once again, in the UK, any individual who was treated in such a way would file a suit against the newspaper concerned and receive a handsome settlement, whilst the person responsible would be out of a job...!

Kudos to the courts in Thailand, once again, for showing that they really do have some teeth...!!

[Jim walker]

Are there any corrupt politicians ever arrested or serve any time in prison in Thailand.

[Jasun]

They shoulda made paper cranes of those warrants before dropping them.

Great idea. Replicating Thaksin's 'peace cranes' would have had a tremendous sense of irony.

[Thai at Heart]

And yet it would seem it is OK to publish the arrest warrant in a newspaper where many 10's of thousands more will see it

I have no doubt that the court would have also reprimanded them on that point, since that also clearly constitutes contempt of court.

Any warrant that is issued by the courts is recorded as a single document, and the record is not complete until the details of the service of the warrant are returned to the courts; thus, no copies are ever made of the document since that could complicate the procedure and potentially forewarn someone that they have been targeted for warrant service.

This is a very good precedent by the courts in Thailand, as we are unlikely to see any of these documents presented in the press in the future. Furthermore, this could be the forerunner to disposing of names and pictures of "accused" persons in the newspapers.

In the UK, where I undertook my legal studies, the solicitor of any accused person who had been named, or whose photograph had appeared, in the press, would stand before the judge and call for a dismissal on the grounds that the case against his client had been prejudiced. The court would immediately agree and dismiss the proceedings, whilst also handing down a clear reprimand to the newspaper concerned.

All that it would take here in Thailand is for an astute law firm to start pressing for dismissals on the same grounds and we could well see an end to these nonsensical finger-pointing photos in the press of people who have not yet been tried and convicted. I'm not against freeing those who are clearly engaging in criminal acts, but they should remain anonymous until they have been found guilty.

And while we're at it, what the hell are the press doing publishing photographs, names and addresses of victims? Once again, in the UK, any individual who was treated in such a way would file a suit against the newspaper concerned and receive a handsome settlement, whilst the person responsible would be out of a job...!

Kudos to the courts in Thailand, once again, for showing that they really do have some teeth...!!

Well fortunately in thailand any serious pooyai perpetrator of anything is forewarned of any warrant so he can scoot to the border.

In fact, I think the fact that there was a warrant was printed in the paper. Maybe they should be held in contempt also.

[JRSoul]

P C Pong may be in the poo.

[tomyummer]

Boy, we are just breaking the laws left and right!

[FangFerang]

They shoulda made paper cranes of those warrants before dropping them.

That would have been, literally, wishful thinking....but only if they made a thousand of them.

[MMarlow]

So let me guess, hum this amazing mistake will certainly nullify the arrest warrant?

Suthep can again walk free...

... truelly a 3rd world country's trick

Wrong.

[NCFC]

And yet it would seem it is OK to publish the arrest warrant in a newspaper where many 10's of thousands more will see it

I have no doubt that the court would have also reprimanded them on that point, since that also clearly constitutes contempt of court.

Any warrant that is issued by the courts is recorded as a single document, and the record is not complete until the details of the service of the warrant are returned to the courts; thus, no copies are ever made of the document since that could complicate the procedure and potentially forewarn someone that they have been targeted for warrant service.

This is a very good precedent by the courts in Thailand, as we are unlikely to see any of these documents presented in the press in the future. Furthermore, this could be the forerunner to disposing of names and pictures of "accused" persons in the newspapers.

In the UK, where I undertook my legal studies, the solicitor of any accused person who had been named, or whose photograph had appeared, in the press, would stand before the judge and call for a dismissal on the grounds that the case against his client had been prejudiced. The court would immediately agree and dismiss the proceedings, whilst also handing down a clear reprimand to the newspaper concerned.

All that it would take here in Thailand is for an astute law firm to start pressing for dismissals on the same grounds and we could well see an end to these nonsensical finger-pointing photos in the press of people who have not yet been tried and convicted. I'm not against freeing those who are clearly engaging in criminal acts, but they should remain anonymous until they have been found guilty.

And while we're at it, what the hell are the press doing publishing photographs, names and addresses of victims? Once again, in the UK, any individual who was treated in such a way would file a suit against the newspaper concerned and receive a handsome settlement, whilst the person responsible would be out of a job...!

Kudos to the courts in Thailand, once again, for showing that they really do have some teeth...!!

. I am mystified by your post George. In newsworthy cases defendants are always named before going to court. For example 'x was charged with ... and will appear in court on ...' Victims of crimes are named in court cases too. I understand there are restrictions on what you can say and the word 'alledged' is always used when referring to offences but names are not withheld as you suggest.

[ginjag]

Good they will get the man who did this, he is responsible, his fault so at last we have caught the BIG WIG it's a first in Thailand to have to go to the monkey cage, hooray--------The helicopter pilot

[stockholm1995]

So let me guess, hum this amazing mistake will certainly nullify the arrest warrant?

Suthep can again walk free...

... truelly a 3rd world country's trick

I wouldn´t call Thailand a 3rd world country.

I would call it a Micky Mouse Country. One of the kind.

[rubl]

It's contempt of court to distribute an arrest warrant?

And what did the first protestors who were in sutheps proximity who received the paper do?

Nothing. Who is in contempt of who's court.

This country sometimes has no brain.

Is a "citizen's arrest" mandatory in Thailand? Did the protesters need to tell the police "look, here is Suthep"?

[Nickymaster]

Law enforcers breaking the law. Just a kind reminder (from the police) why Thailand is such a corrupt mess.

[DGIE]

Maybe Pol Col Pong Singmurin's idea is, anybody can serve the arrest warrant to Mr. Suthep.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Are there any corrupt politicians ever arrested or serve any time in prison in Thailand.

Over a long period of years...

Arrested: a few.

Serve prison time: very rare.

Also depends on whether, by corrupt politicians, you mean elected officials or non-elected ones like ministers or deputy ministers.

The few I can think of have been the non-elected types... I can't think of any elected ones being arrested for corruption (arrested as in, taken into custody for jail) off the top of my head.

The normal method when some government type gets into trouble that they can't extricate themselves from is to just flee the country before imprisonment arrives, as has been done quite a few times.

Edited December 4, 2013 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[bigbamboo]

P C Pong may be in the poo.

He'll be as happy as a pig in s*** then !

[outsider]

555+

[tragickingdom]

Just sack the judge! Wouldn't it be contempt of court when they did not do anything to apprehend him?

[rubl]

Just sack the judge! Wouldn't it be contempt of court when they did not do anything to apprehend him?

Please define 'anything' in the context of 'within legal limits'

[FDog]

And yet it would seem it is OK to publish the arrest warrant in a newspaper where many 10's of thousands more will see it

I have no doubt that the court would have also reprimanded them on that point, since that also clearly constitutes contempt of court.

Any warrant that is issued by the courts is recorded as a single document, and the record is not complete until the details of the service of the warrant are returned to the courts; thus, no copies are ever made of the document since that could complicate the procedure and potentially forewarn someone that they have been targeted for warrant service.

This is a very good precedent by the courts in Thailand, as we are unlikely to see any of these documents presented in the press in the future. Furthermore, this could be the forerunner to disposing of names and pictures of "accused" persons in the newspapers.

In the UK, where I undertook my legal studies, the solicitor of any accused person who had been named, or whose photograph had appeared, in the press, would stand before the judge and call for a dismissal on the grounds that the case against his client had been prejudiced. The court would immediately agree and dismiss the proceedings, whilst also handing down a clear reprimand to the newspaper concerned.

All that it would take here in Thailand is for an astute law firm to start pressing for dismissals on the same grounds and we could well see an end to these nonsensical finger-pointing photos in the press of people who have not yet been tried and convicted. I'm not against freeing those who are clearly engaging in criminal acts, but they should remain anonymous until they have been found guilty.

And while we're at it, what the hell are the press doing publishing photographs, names and addresses of victims? Once again, in the UK, any individual who was treated in such a way would file a suit against the newspaper concerned and receive a handsome settlement, whilst the person responsible would be out of a job...!

Kudos to the courts in Thailand, once again, for showing that they really do have some teeth...!!

. I am mystified by your post George. In newsworthy cases defendants are always named before going to court. For example 'x was charged with ... and will appear in court on ...' Victims of crimes are named in court cases too. I understand there are restrictions on what you can say and the word 'alledged' is always used when referring to offences but names are not withheld as you suggest.

I too am perplexed by the post, and the assertion that a judge would dismiss a case because an accused is named is just plain wrong.

You also don't have to use the word 'alleged' when you say xxxx was charged because he is actually charged. But do use the word alleged when saying what he/she is charged with.

The only time an accused and a victim are not named is when the victim is under 16 and is the alleged victim of a sexual offence.

[rjcampbe]

It's contempt of court to distribute an arrest warrant?

And what did the first protestors who were in sutheps proximity who received the paper do?

Nothing. Who is in contempt of who's court.

This country sometimes has no brain.

Only sometimes?

[ginjag]

P C Pong may be in the poo.

He'll be as happy as a pig in s*** then !

Shouldn't talk about the pig like that.