Constitution Court denies trespassing on the legislature
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The Constitution Court on Wednesday held a press conference to deny an allegation that the judiciary was trespassing on the legislature in connection with the charter change bill.
“The court has excercised every precaution not to interfere with the legislative work,” high court president Wasan Soypisudh said.
Wasan said Article 68 of the Constitution empowers the high court to check and rule whether there is an attempt to topple the democratic rule with the King as head of state.
In the past, the high court had never intervened in the affairs of the government and the legislature, such as the issuing of executive decrees, he said.
But for the case in question, five complaints have been lodged alerting the high court to an alleged conspiracy to introduce a new charter with a different political system, he said.
Faced with such complaints, the high court is obliged under Article 68 to look into the matter, he said, insisting that the action taken by the court is mandatory as sanctioned by the Constitution and should not be construed as infringing on the legislative power.
“The alternative is for the high court to lapse in duty in upholding the democratic rule,” he said.
He said he would not comment on the House legal panel’s legal interpretation that his court had no mandate to suspend the vote on the bill.
At issue was not about the legislative vote or other works but the alleged conspiracy to overthrow the political system as sanctioned by the Constitution, he said.
The high court will proceed to launch the inquiry as planned and no one should try to sway or predict the outcome, he said.
The inquiry will aim at resolving doubts in connection with the charter change but not to block any justified amendments.
