20 September 2024

The Constitutional Court unanimously decided to order the dissolution of the Move Forward party today, for its push to amend Article 112 of the Criminal Code (the lèse majesté law).

The Court also debarred the party’s executive board members’ rights from standing for election for ten years, from registering new party, from being board members of another political party and from being involved in any party’s political activities for ten years.

The verdict was in favour of the Election Commission, which had accused the most popular party in Thailand, at the last election, of attempting to overthrow or undermine the country’s democratic system with the King as head of state.

The EC submitted the petition after the Constitutional Court ruled, in January, that Move Forward’s campaign to change the lèse majesté law represented an attack on the monarchy.

The court also ordered the party to cease all attempts to abolish or amend the law through “any illegitimate legal procedure”.

The Court also dismissed the party’s the claim that the court lacked jurisdiction in the case.