Amorn Chantarasomboon
Encyclopedia
Amorn Chantarasomboon is a Thai
expert on public law
and constitutional law
. He was a former Secretary-General of the Council of State and was a key drafter of the 1997 Constitution (the so-called "People's Constitution"). He was identified as one of Thailand's 35 most influential intellectuals.http://www.uni-bielefeld.de/tdrc/publications/working_papers/wp329.pdf
in international law
from the University of Paris
in 1956.http://www.pub-law.net/lect/dr_amj.html He served as Secretary-General of the Council of State from 1980 to 1990.http://www.ihtthaiday.com/IHT/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9480000163699
. Some of the innovations of the constitution included increased decentralization
of government, the establishment of several independent government agencies (like the Constitutional Court, Election Commission, the Office of the Auditor-General, and National Human Rights Commission), and mechanisms to increase political stability by favoring large parties over small ones - an attempt create a strong executive branch and discourage the formation of unstable coalition governments.http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:n39NsjOM0cgJ:www.cdi.anu.edu.au/CDIwebsite_1998-2004/thailand/thailand_downloads/Niyom_ThaiUpdate%2520Apr03.rtf+%22People%27s+Constitution%22+1997+Thailand+decentralization&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1&client=firefox-ahttp://www.kpi.ac.th/kpi/en/democratization.htm
of assets concealment charges.http://www.bangkokpost.net/election2001/august2001/070801b.html The government of Thaksin Shinawatra
gained power in the first election contested under the 1997 Constitution.
In 2004-2005, Amorn called for the a "Second Reform", noting that the strong Thaksin government resulted in a “tyranny by the majority” and “the worst kind of parliamentary dictatorship that this country has ever witnessed”.http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/page.arcview.php?clid=11&id=97135&usrsess= He called for the establishment of a "third alternative party" which would push through another round of constitutional reform. High on his list of reforms would be cancelling a clause that bars members of the Parliament from standing independently.http://www.ihtthaiday.com/IHT/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9480000163699 He also advocated for several royalist measures that would increase the powers of the King.
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
expert on public law
Public law
Public law is a theory of law governing the relationship between individuals and the state. Under this theory, constitutional law, administrative law and criminal law are sub-divisions of public law...
and constitutional law
Constitutional law
Constitutional law is the body of law which defines the relationship of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary....
. He was a former Secretary-General of the Council of State and was a key drafter of the 1997 Constitution (the so-called "People's Constitution"). He was identified as one of Thailand's 35 most influential intellectuals.http://www.uni-bielefeld.de/tdrc/publications/working_papers/wp329.pdf
Education and early career
Amorn graduated from Thammasat University in 1951 and finished a PhDPHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
from the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
in 1956.http://www.pub-law.net/lect/dr_amj.html He served as Secretary-General of the Council of State from 1980 to 1990.http://www.ihtthaiday.com/IHT/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9480000163699
Drafting of the 1997 constitution
Amorn became a highly influential member of the Constitution Drafting Assembly. The new constitution was promulgated in 11 October 1997 and became known as the People's ConstitutionConstitution of Thailand
The Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand is the supreme law of Thailand. Since the change from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional democracy in 1932, Thailand has had 17 charters and constitutions, reflecting the high degree of political instability and frequency of military coups faced...
. Some of the innovations of the constitution included increased decentralization
Decentralization
__FORCETOC__Decentralization or decentralisation is the process of dispersing decision-making governance closer to the people and/or citizens. It includes the dispersal of administration or governance in sectors or areas like engineering, management science, political science, political economy,...
of government, the establishment of several independent government agencies (like the Constitutional Court, Election Commission, the Office of the Auditor-General, and National Human Rights Commission), and mechanisms to increase political stability by favoring large parties over small ones - an attempt create a strong executive branch and discourage the formation of unstable coalition governments.http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:n39NsjOM0cgJ:www.cdi.anu.edu.au/CDIwebsite_1998-2004/thailand/thailand_downloads/Niyom_ThaiUpdate%2520Apr03.rtf+%22People%27s+Constitution%22+1997+Thailand+decentralization&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1&client=firefox-ahttp://www.kpi.ac.th/kpi/en/democratization.htm
Opposition to Thaksin Shinawatra
In 2001, Amorn publicly questioned the credibility of the Constitutional Court over its decision to clear newly elected Prime Minister Thaksin ShinawatraThaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
of assets concealment charges.http://www.bangkokpost.net/election2001/august2001/070801b.html The government of Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
gained power in the first election contested under the 1997 Constitution.
In 2004-2005, Amorn called for the a "Second Reform", noting that the strong Thaksin government resulted in a “tyranny by the majority” and “the worst kind of parliamentary dictatorship that this country has ever witnessed”.http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/page.arcview.php?clid=11&id=97135&usrsess= He called for the establishment of a "third alternative party" which would push through another round of constitutional reform. High on his list of reforms would be cancelling a clause that bars members of the Parliament from standing independently.http://www.ihtthaiday.com/IHT/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9480000163699 He also advocated for several royalist measures that would increase the powers of the King.
See also
- Constitution of ThailandConstitution of ThailandThe Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand is the supreme law of Thailand. Since the change from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional democracy in 1932, Thailand has had 17 charters and constitutions, reflecting the high degree of political instability and frequency of military coups faced...
- Anand PanyarachunAnand PanyarachunAnand Panyarachun was Thailand's Prime Minister twice, between 1991–1992 and once again in 1992. He was effective in initiating economic and political reforms, one of which was the drafting of Thailand's "Peoples' Constitution", which was promulgated in 1997 and abrogated in 2006...
, Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution Drafting Assembly - Thaksin ShinawatraThaksin ShinawatraThaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
Further reading
- Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand (the 1997 Constitution)
- The 1991 Constitution