The Thai Constitutional Court recently affirmed a decision to hold a lesse majeste prosecution in camera. On its face, this seems to violate Articles 29 and 40 of the 2007 Constitution, which guarantee a right to a public trial. The Court justified the restriction as only used to the extent necessary. However, it's not quite clear what is necessary about it? Is the court worried about public repetition of libel? Are in camera trials the next phase in Thai judicial politics? The New Mandala blog provides an excellent legal analysis here.
Critics agree that much of Southeast Asia desperately needs judicial reform and rule of law. Yet, there is remarkably little comparative scholarship on law and legal institutions in the region. In this blog, I'll follow constitutional developments in Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
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