Udom Sittiwirattham

Udom Sittiwirattham
อุดม สิทธิวิรัชธรรม
Justice of the Constitutional Court of Thailand
Assumed office
1 April 2020
Personal details
Born (1954-11-22) 22 November 1954

Udom Sittiwirattham (Thai: อุดม สิทธิวิรัชธรรม, RTGSUdom Sitthiwirattham; born 22 November 1954) is a Thai jurist serving as a Justice of the Constitutional Court of Thailand since 2020.[1][2][3]

Early life and education

Udom received a Bachelor of Laws from Ramkhamhaeng University, and a Master of Laws from Chulalongkorn University.[4]

Career

Udom previously served as a presiding judge of the Supreme Court of Thailand, overseeing appeals and petitions.[5][6]

Constitutional Court

Udom's appointment was given royal endorsement by King Vajiralongkorn on 1 April 2020 and was published in the Royal Gazette on 6 April 2020.[7]

Move Forward Party dissolution

On 7 August 2024, the Constitutional Court issued a dissolution resolution to the Move Forward Party, unanimously voting that the party sought to take control of the country through unconstitutional means, and 8 to 1 voting that that party had acted in ways that were hostile to Thailand's constitutional monarchy.[8]

People's Party fundraising comments

After the Move Forward Party was reorganized as the People's Party, Udom was quoted at a 15 August 2024 seminar in Surat Thani as saying "Frankly speaking, they should thank me for dissolving the party. I helped them collect as much as 20 million baht in donations," referring to the People's Party's fundraising.[9]

Udom's comments were criticized by Members of Parliament, including from the People's Party and Pheu Thai Party, along with former politicians and legal scholars, who called for an ethics investigation .[10][11]

On 2 September 2024, a motion in the Senate of Thailand made by Senator Nantana Nantavaropas into Udom's comments was dropped 117 to 27.[12] Nanthana was instead asked to seek a probe into Udom with an independent agency like the National Anti-Corruption Commission.[12]

References

  1. ^ Reporters, Post (22 August 2024). "Judge under fire for comments about Move Forward". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  2. ^ "Probe sought into charter court judge's remark about People's party". world.thaipbs.or.th. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  3. ^ Yonpiam, Chairith (2 September 2024). "Top judge dodges probe over Move Forward dissolution comments". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  4. ^ "เปิดประวัติ 5 ตุลาการศาลรัฐธรรมนูญ สายนิติศาสตร์ ฟัน"เศรษฐา-ครม."ทั้งคณะ". thansettakij (in Thai). 14 August 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  5. ^ "Nine Constitutional Court judges to rule on Paetongtarn case tomorrow". nationthailand. 30 June 2025. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  6. ^ "ประวัติ "อุดม สิทธิวิรัชธรรม" ตุลาการศาลรัฐธรรมนูญ". pptvhd36.com (in Thai). 21 August 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  7. ^ "พระบาทสมเด็จพระปรเมนทรรามาธิบดีศรีสินทรมหาวชิราลงกรณ พระวชิรเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว" [His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklao Chao Yu Hua] (PDF). www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th (in Thai).
  8. ^ Reporters, Online (7 August 2024). "Court dissolves Move Forward Party". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  9. ^ "Probe sought into charter court judge's remark about People's party". world.thaipbs.or.th. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  10. ^ Reporters, Post (22 August 2024). "Judge under fire for comments about Move Forward". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  11. ^ "Constitutional Court judge faces backlash over joke about MFP dissolution | Prachatai English". prachataienglish.com. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  12. ^ a b Yonpiam, Chairith (2 September 2024). "Top judge dodges probe over Move Forward dissolution comments". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 2 July 2025.