Thai legal system may be too complex & time-consuming to protect legal rights of the poor
By Jon Fernquest
There
has been a lot of discussion of the Thai judiciary and their role in
high-profile
cases involving polticians recently (Read review
at New Mandala and this
author's comment). Somehow the role of the judiciary in providing justice for the poor and ordinary people has been left out of this heated discussion.
It is as if the current obsession with politics has made us forget what, in the end, politics is all about: serving ordinary people.
Today's article begins after the vocabulary.
The photo on the right is of the statue of Justitia , the Roman goddess of justice, also known as "Lady Justice" outside the "Old Bailey" criminal courts in London.
In paintings and statues Justitia is typically wears a blindfold and holds scales to weight the two sides of a legal case in one hand and a sword for punishment and justice in the other hand (See Wikipedia).
time-consuming - uses
up a lot of time เสียเวลามาก, ต้องใช้เวลามาก
complex - very difficult to understand and deal with because of many details and parts with many interconnections ประกอบด้วยส่วนต่างๆที่จุกจิก, แทรกแซง
judiciary (noun) - the system of legal courts and judges in a country, one of the three branches of any government (other two: executive branch and legislature) (See Wikipedia) การพิจารณาคดีตามกฎหมาย
judicial (adjective) - relating to the work of courts and judges responsible for providing justice in the legal cases of a country เกี่ยวกับการพิจารณาคดี
high-profile - important because watched by large numbers of people through the media
obsession - thinking about something all the the time in a way that seems excessive to other people
blindfold - a piece of cloth covering the eyes so that you cannot see
scales - a tool used to weight and determine the weight of something
justice - treatment of all people equally in a fair and reasonable way (See Wikipedia)
complex - very difficult to understand and deal with because of many details and parts with many interconnections ประกอบด้วยส่วนต่างๆที่จุกจิก, แทรกแซง
judiciary (noun) - the system of legal courts and judges in a country, one of the three branches of any government (other two: executive branch and legislature) (See Wikipedia) การพิจารณาคดีตามกฎหมาย
judicial (adjective) - relating to the work of courts and judges responsible for providing justice in the legal cases of a country เกี่ยวกับการพิจารณาคดี
high-profile - important because watched by large numbers of people through the media
obsession - thinking about something all the the time in a way that seems excessive to other people
blindfold - a piece of cloth covering the eyes so that you cannot see
scales - a tool used to weight and determine the weight of something
justice - treatment of all people equally in a fair and reasonable way (See Wikipedia)
Local News
JUDICIARY
Activists demand more legal rights for poor
20/07/2010Achara Ashayagachat
Special legal procedures are needed to deal with cases involving poor people fighting to protect their communities, grass-roots groups and legal experts say.
About 200 villagers are facing lawsuits as a result of their efforts to protect their communities. The cases, which are lengthy and complicated, place a huge burden on defendants who have little access to legal guidance
demand
- ask for something strongly, saying you must get it
rights - what the law allows you to have and do สิทธิ์ (See Wikipedia)
grass roots - the ordinary people in a country or community (not the leaders)
lawsuits - a case in a court of law to end a dispute between two people
efforts - people trying to accomplish something, achieve a goal ความพยายาม
complicated - having many parts and aspects that are difficult to understand and deal with ที่ซับซ้อน
burden - a serious or difficult responsibility that you have to deal with ภาระ (See glossary)
access - the right or opportunity to have or use something ได้รับสิทธิ์หรือโอกาสในการใช้
access - the ability to get something สิทธิหรือโอกาสในการใช้
guidance - help and advice about how to do something or about how to deal with problems การแนะแนว, การแนะนำ
rights - what the law allows you to have and do สิทธิ์ (See Wikipedia)
grass roots - the ordinary people in a country or community (not the leaders)
lawsuits - a case in a court of law to end a dispute between two people
efforts - people trying to accomplish something, achieve a goal ความพยายาม
complicated - having many parts and aspects that are difficult to understand and deal with ที่ซับซ้อน
burden - a serious or difficult responsibility that you have to deal with ภาระ (See glossary)
access - the right or opportunity to have or use something ได้รับสิทธิ์หรือโอกาสในการใช้
access - the ability to get something สิทธิหรือโอกาสในการใช้
guidance - help and advice about how to do something or about how to deal with problems การแนะแนว, การแนะนำ
Representatives from grass-roots groups who attended a seminar on judicial procedure and the poor at Chulalongkorn University yesterday called on the Abhisit government to come up with a special judicial treatment plan for villagers to reaffirm its pro-poor agenda.
Forum organiser, Jamnong Jitnirat, an adviser to the Community Network for Political and Social Reform, said court cases against villagers fighting for their community rights should be relinquished and there should be no new lawsuits against grass-roots organisations.
judicial procedure - a
legal procedure in courts used to settle legal cases in a fair and just
manner
procedure - a way of doing something ขั้นตอนการดำเนินการ
treatment - the process of providing special care การรักษา
reaffirm - give support to a person, plan, idea for a second time; to strengthen ยืนยันใหม่
agenda - a list of issues to be discussed and goals to be achieved กำหนดการ, วาระ
community - local people, all the people who live in a local area or place ชุมชน
relinquish - give up, end, stop
procedure - a way of doing something ขั้นตอนการดำเนินการ
treatment - the process of providing special care การรักษา
reaffirm - give support to a person, plan, idea for a second time; to strengthen ยืนยันใหม่
agenda - a list of issues to be discussed and goals to be achieved กำหนดการ, วาระ
community - local people, all the people who live in a local area or place ชุมชน
relinquish - give up, end, stop
Mr Jamnong said the poor might have to show up in force if the government fails to take concrete action on the matter within a few months.
Tawee Sodsong, deputy permanent secretary for justice, conceded that 22 agencies involved in the judicial process had yet to look into the plight of poor people facing legal cases.
show up in force - come
to a place in large numbers
concrete - based on facts, not on ideas or guesses
take concrete action - take some action the results of which can be seen (results not just talk)
matter - a situation or subject which is being dealt with or considered เรื่อง, ภารกิจ, งาน
deputy - a person who is given the power to do something instead of another person, or the person whose rank is immediately below that of the leader of an organisation รอง, ตัวแทน,ผู้รักษาการแทน
permanent - happening or existing for a long time or for all time in the future ถาวร
justice - when people are treated fairly and equally (See Wikipedia) ความยุติธรรม
conceded - admitted unwillingly that something is true ยอมรับ
process - a series of actions that you take in order to achieve a result แนวทางปฏิบัติ, กระบวน, วิธีการ
plight - an unpleasant condition, especially a serious, sad or difficult one สภาพเลวร้าย
concrete - based on facts, not on ideas or guesses
take concrete action - take some action the results of which can be seen (results not just talk)
matter - a situation or subject which is being dealt with or considered เรื่อง, ภารกิจ, งาน
deputy - a person who is given the power to do something instead of another person, or the person whose rank is immediately below that of the leader of an organisation รอง, ตัวแทน,ผู้รักษาการแทน
permanent - happening or existing for a long time or for all time in the future ถาวร
justice - when people are treated fairly and equally (See Wikipedia) ความยุติธรรม
conceded - admitted unwillingly that something is true ยอมรับ
process - a series of actions that you take in order to achieve a result แนวทางปฏิบัติ, กระบวน, วิธีการ
plight - an unpleasant condition, especially a serious, sad or difficult one สภาพเลวร้าย
Union for Civil Liberty secretary-general Pairote Pholphet said government policies have been introduced to resolve land disputes but these have had little effect where court procedures against the poor have already been implemented.
Bamrung Kayotha, a veteran grass-roots activist from Kalasin, said Thai law was not conducive to solving people's problems.
resolve
- find a solution to and solve a problem, difficulty, or argument
หาทางแก้ปัญหา, แก้ไขปัญหา
dispute - an argument, fight about something
implemented - when a plan is put into action, actually doing the things in a plan
veteran - a person who has a lot of experience in a particular area or activity ผู้อาวุโส
activist - someone who takes part in activities that are intended to achieve political or social change, especially someone who is a member of an organisation นักกิจกรรม, ผู้ดำเนินการที่มีความกระตือรือร้น
conducive - helping something happen มีส่วนช่วย, นำไปซึ่ง, ที่นำไปสู่, ที่ทำให้เกิดขึ้น,
not conducive to solving people's problems - not does not really help people solve their problems
dispute - an argument, fight about something
implemented - when a plan is put into action, actually doing the things in a plan
veteran - a person who has a lot of experience in a particular area or activity ผู้อาวุโส
activist - someone who takes part in activities that are intended to achieve political or social change, especially someone who is a member of an organisation นักกิจกรรม, ผู้ดำเนินการที่มีความกระตือรือร้น
conducive - helping something happen มีส่วนช่วย, นำไปซึ่ง, ที่นำไปสู่, ที่ทำให้เกิดขึ้น,
not conducive to solving people's problems - not does not really help people solve their problems
State agencies facing legal wrangles are usually treated with sympathy while the poor don't even receive a proper hearing of their problems," Mr Bamrung said.
Land and debt are the key problems facing the villagers, he said.
wrangles - fights,
arguments
sympathy - a natural feeling of kindness and understanding that you have for someone who is experiencing something very unpleasant ความเห็นอกเห็นใจ
proper - a full, real, correct version of something (not just something that looks real but isn't)
receive a proper hearing of their problems - when people with authority to solve their problems actually listen to them and act on that
debt - an amount of money that you owe หนี้
key - important คนสำคัญ
sympathy - a natural feeling of kindness and understanding that you have for someone who is experiencing something very unpleasant ความเห็นอกเห็นใจ
proper - a full, real, correct version of something (not just something that looks real but isn't)
receive a proper hearing of their problems - when people with authority to solve their problems actually listen to them and act on that
debt - an amount of money that you owe หนี้
key - important คนสำคัญ
He was confident the government-appointed National Reform Committee and Assembly for National Reform will help address injustice against the poor.
Prayong Doklamyai, of the community land reform group, said authorities dealing with judicial procedures involving land disputes in the North do not sympathise with poor people.
confident
- being certain of your abilities or of having trust in people, plans,
or the future มั่นใจ
appointed - scheduled ตามกำหนดการ
address - to deal with a problem จัดการปัญหา
injustice - failure to treat someone fairly and to respect their rights ความไม่ยุติธรรม
reform - a change that is intended to correct a situation that is wrong or unfair การแก้ไข การปฏิรูป
authorities - government agencies and departments เจ้าหน้าที่ของรัฐ
sympathise - behave with kindness and understanding, showing that you understand someone's problems
appointed - scheduled ตามกำหนดการ
address - to deal with a problem จัดการปัญหา
injustice - failure to treat someone fairly and to respect their rights ความไม่ยุติธรรม
reform - a change that is intended to correct a situation that is wrong or unfair การแก้ไข การปฏิรูป
authorities - government agencies and departments เจ้าหน้าที่ของรัฐ
sympathise - behave with kindness and understanding, showing that you understand someone's problems
(Source: JUDICIARY, Activists demand more legal rights for poor, 20/07/2010, Achara Ashayagachat, link)
