Bangkok: The Constitutional Court has ruled that the 308 Members of Parliament (MPs) from the People's Party involved in the Military Act case did not attempt to overthrow the government. The court dismissed the petition filed by Natthida, stating that the actions of the MPs and the draft Military Act proposed by the People's Party did not constitute such an attempt.
According to Thai News Agency, the Constitutional Court unanimously decided to dismiss the petition in case number 17/2569. The petition was filed by Ms. Natthida Nikrothangkoon under Article 49 of the Constitution. She requested the court to rule on the actions of two groups of individuals and political parties. The petitioner alleged that the MPs' vote against allowing the Special Investigation Unit to issue summonses and their preparation of public consultation questions on the draft Military Service Act, which proposed changing compulsory military service from a duty to a right, constituted an attempt to overthrow the democratic system with the King as head of state.
Previously, the petitioners had approached the Attorney General, who issued a letter stating that the actions did not meet the criteria under Section 49, paragraph one, of the Constitution. Consequently, the Attorney General ordered that the case not be accepted for consideration. This led the petitioners to file the case directly with the Constitutional Court. After deliberation, the Constitutional Court found that the facts and supporting documents did not provide sufficient evidence to conclude an attempt to overthrow the government. Therefore, the case did not meet the legal criteria and procedures, leading the court to unanimously decide not to accept the petition for further consideration.