BANGKOK: A Thai court decided on Friday (Apr 24) to hear a case against 10 MPs, including the leader of the largest opposition party, for trying to reform the royal insult law, but refrained from suspending them.
The progressive People’s Party, led by Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, came second in February’s general election.
An earlier iteration of the organisation had put forward draft legislation to amend the strict lese-majeste law.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission referred their actions to the Supreme Court, alleging a potential breach of ethics.
The court said on Friday it accepted the case, but decided not to exercise its power to immediately suspend the MPs from their parliamentary positions.
The case “carries sufficient weight for the court to proceed with its consideration”, one of the three-judge Supreme Court panel said.
But the court “has not ordered the suspension of the MPs’ duties”, he added.
At a news conference after Friday’s ruling, Natthaphong said the legal reform effort was “never intended to undermine the democratic system under the monarchy”.
“Our objective goes beyond political careers – it is about ensuring equality for the people,” he said.
“We will contest this case in the Supreme Court to defend the rights of MPs within a democratic parliamentary system and to ensure that Thailand’s democracy genuinely serves its people.”
If they are found guilty, Natthaphong and the other nine newly re-elected MPs could face lifetime bans on holding political office and be stripped of their right to vote for 10 years.
They are among 44 current and former progressive MPs accused over the February 2021 proposal to change the lese-majeste law.
The century-old measure, known as Section 112 in Thailand, shields the king and his family from criticism and carries a maximum sentence of up to 15 years per offence.
Thailand’s constitutional court dissolved the predecessor of the People’s Party, Move Forward, in 2024, ruling its actions amounted to an attempt to overthrow the constitutional monarchy.