Attorney General Faces Pressure to Appeal Lese Majeste Case

The Criminal Court's decision to acquit former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in the lese majeste case has put the Attorney General under pressure to appeal. The Attorney General's Office has begun the process of reviewing the court's verdict, including witness testimony, to determine whether to file an appeal. The decision to appeal rests solely with the Attorney General, who has 30 days from the date of the ruling to make a decision. If necessary, the deadline can be extended in 30-day increments. The case is classified as an extraterritorial offence, giving the Attorney General exclusive jurisdiction to initiate an appeal.

Key Takeaways:

• The Attorney General's Office will review the court's verdict, including witness testimony, to determine whether to file an appeal.
• The decision to appeal rests solely with the Attorney General, who has 30 days from the date of the ruling to make a decision.
• The deadline can be extended in 30-day increments if necessary.
• The case is classified as an extraterritorial offence, giving the Attorney General exclusive jurisdiction to initiate an appeal.
• The prosecution failed to meet the required burden of proof, with the court finding that the video clip presented was not conclusive evidence.
• The court relied on grammatical analysis to assess whether the statements made by Thaksin fell within the scope of the lese majeste law.
• Some prosecution witnesses were deemed unreliable due to apparent bias and inconsistent statements.

Statistics:

• 30 days: The amount of time the Attorney General has to decide whether to file an appeal.
• 30-day increments: The extension periods for the deadline to appeal.
• 2015: The year in which Thaksin gave an interview in South Korea that formed the basis of the charge.
• Section 112: The lese majeste law under which the case fell.

Sources:

• Sakkasem Nisaiyok, spokesman for the Office of the Attorney General (OAG)
• Winyat Chartmontree, Thaksin's lawyer