The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) by Gen. Chalermchai Sitthisat, Deputy Chief of Staff of the NCPO, acting on behalf of the Chief of Staff, issued a most urgent letter dated 16 March 2016 addressed to the director in charge of the election of the President and board members of the Lawyers Council of Thailand (LCT) asking for the suspension of the election of the LCT’s new President and board members, which is slated to take place on 24 April 2016. In the letter, it claims that since the election of the LCT’s President and board members involves a large number of members and there would be election booths set up in each of the provinces based on the court jurisdictions, such practice might contravene the NCPO Announcement no.7/2557 (banning political gathering) which is applicable to all groups, in order to maintain public order of the nation during the transitional period similar to (the suspension of election of) local administration organizations per the NCPO Announcement no. 85/2557. In addition, the NCPO decreed that the board members of the LCT whose terms have already expired are to perform their duties provisionally while the new election is not forthcoming per Section 22 of the 1985 Lawyers Act. Several human rights organizations, lawyers, attorneys, and social activists undersigned a statement, in which they refer to article 24 of the UN’s Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.
The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) by Gen. Chalermchai Sitthisat, Deputy Chief of Staff of the NCPO, acting on behalf of the Chief of Staff, issued a most urgent letter dated 16 March 2016 addressed to the director in charge of the election of the President and board members of the Lawyers Council of Thailand (LCT) asking for the suspension of the election of the LCT’s new President and board members, which is slated to take place on 24 April 2016. In the letter, it claims that since the election of the LCT’s President and board members involves a large number of members and there would be election booths set up in each of the provinces based on the court jurisdictions, such practice might contravene the NCPO Announcement no.7/2557 (banning political gathering) which is applicable to all groups, in order to maintain public order of the nation during the transitional period similar to (the suspension of election of) local administration organizations per the NCPO Announcement no. 85/2557. In addition, the NCPO decreed that the board members of the LCT whose terms have already expired are to perform their duties provisionally while the new election is not forthcoming per Section 22 of the 1985 Lawyers Act. Several human rights organizations, lawyers, attorneys, and social activists undersigned a statement, in which they refer to article 24 of the UN’s Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.
