Chanakarn Theeravechpolkul will become the fourth female president of Thailand’s Supreme Court on October 1, sealing a dramatic reversal in the trend for male top judges.
The Judicial Commission voted unanimously on July 8 to approve her appointment as the 50th chief of the country’s top court.
She will succeed the third woman to take the helm, Anocha Chevitsophon, whose term expires on September 30.
Chanakarn is currently president of the Supreme Court’s Juvenile and Family Division.
Her previous positions included vice president of the Court of Appeal’s Region 9, deputy chief justice of the Court of Appeal for Specialised Cases and deputy chief justice of the Bangkok South Civil Court.
Before that, the judge served at the Phitsanulok Provincial Court, Central Bankruptcy Court, Bangkok South Civil Court, and Appeal Court before joining the Supreme Court.
She took a bachelor’s in law at Thammasat University before passing her bar exam.
Glass ceiling shattered in four years
Of the 49 Supreme Court presidents since Thailand’s judiciary was established in 1882, only three have been women – Methinee Chalothorn, Piyakul Boonperm, and Anocha.
Methinee, the 46th president, blazed the trail for women.
She served from October 2020 to September 2021 and was replaced by Piyakul, who served until September 2022.
Piyakul was succeeded by Chotiwat Luengprasert – the only man to serve as Supreme Court president since 2020.
After Chotiwat completed his term in September 2023, the trend reverted to women with the appointment of Anocha.
Women on top
In 2020, Methinee rose from Supreme Court vice-president to become the first female to helm the top court – breaking a century-old tradition of male domination.
She has a bachelor’s in law and a master’s in justice administration from Thammasat University.
The senior judge has also served as president of the Court of Appeal for Specialised Cases and a member of the Judicial Commission.
She was previously a judge at the Surin Provincial Court and North Bangkok District Court.
She was also head of the Appeal Court’s Bankruptcy Division and Consumer Cases Division.
In 2021, Piyakul became the second woman to lead the Supreme Court after the Judicial Commission recognised her as the most senior justice among the contenders.
Piyakul graduated with honours from Ramkhamhaeng University and received a master’s in law from Chulalongkorn University, then a licence from the Thai Bar Association.
Last October, Justice Anocha completed the hattrick of female Supreme Court presidents.
She took a bachelor’s and master’s in law at Chulalongkorn University before passing the bar exams.
In a long career, Anocha served as chief justice at the Mae Sot Provincial Court, at Pathum Thani Provincial Court’s Juvenile and Family Division, and at the Thanya Buri Provincial Court.
She was also chief justice at the Central Juvenile and Family Court, president of the Appeal Court for Specialised Cases, and president of the Supreme Court’s Juvenile and Family Division.
Nation’s top judge
The Supreme Court president serves as the head of the Thai judiciary.
As per the Constitution, the court’s chief justice has ultimate authority over the courts of justice, both in administration and judicial processes.
The Supreme Court president is also completely independent from other branches of government.
The first president of the Supreme Court was Prince Phichit Prichakon, appointed in 1885 under the reign of King Rama V.
The Thai name for the Supreme Court, “Dika”, is a testament to its historical connection with the monarchy.
Dika can be translated as “seeking royal prerogative to relieve a complainant’s hardship”.
King Rama V (King Chulalongkorn) had an official department set up in the palace to receive petitions.
After the Justice Ministry was established in 1891, the petitions office transformed into the Royal Appeal Court.
Petitioners unhappy with the court’s decision could still appeal to the king directly through what is known as “Thawai Dika” in Thai.
In 1898, King Rama V set up a commission to hear Dika appeals, though the panel’s decisions required royal approval before they were enforced.
The Supreme Court replaced the commission and became the country’s highest court with the enactment of the Judicature Act in 1908 under King Rama V. Case rulings by the top court no longer required royal endorsement.
As Thailand’s highest court of justice, the Supreme Court serves as the final recourse of appeal in all civil and criminal cases. Normally, each case is overseen by at least three judges.
However, in special cases covering important issues, the Supreme Court president has the authority to order trials by a plenary session of the highest court.
Under the 2017 Constitution, the Supreme Court is responsible for trying political officeholders charged with corruption (through its Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions), selecting three Supreme Court justices to be appointed as Constitutional Court judges, and also nominating two qualified persons to be selected as election commissioners.
By Thai PBS World’s Political Desk
