Ombudsman's warning on constitutionality of charter amendment bill
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The Office of Ombudsman has alerted the government and the House about three potential flaws impacting on the constitutionality of the charter amendment bill.
“The three flaws should be rectified in order to avoid the dispute on the bill’s constitutionality,” ombudsman Sriracha Charoenpanij said on Tuesday, coinciding with the charter debate on the final passage of the bill.
To preempt the first flaw, the draft provison should be revised to designate the prime minister to countersign the royal command on the promulgation of the new charter. The original draft has named the Parliament president for the countersign,
In rectifying the second flaw, the Constitution Court should be designated to launch a judicial review should the question of constitutionality arise in connection with the political system as will be prescribed by the new charter. Under the draft provision, the Parliament president is the designated authority to rule on the issue.
The Nation
