Article 14 — Insane accused unable to defend
Texte légal (original thaï)
ในระหว่างทำการสอบสวน ไต่สวนมูลฟ้องหรือพิจารณา ถ้ามีเหตุควรเชื่อว่าผู้ต้องหาหรือจำเลยเป็นผู้วิกลจริตและไม่สามารถต่อสู้คดีได้ ให้พนักงานสอบสวนหรือศาล แล้วแต่กรณี สั่งให้พนักงานแพทย์ตรวจผู้นั้น เสร็จแล้วให้เรียกพนักงานแพทย์ผู้นั้นมาให้ถ้อยคำ หรือให้การว่าตรวจได้ผลประการใดในกรณีที่พนักงานสอบสวนหรือศาลเห็นว่าผู้ต้องหาหรือจำเลยเป็นผู้วิกลจริตและไม่สามารถต่อสู้คดีได้ ให้งดการสอบสวน ไต่สวนมูลฟ้องหรือพิจารณาไว้จนกว่าผู้นั้นหายวิกลจริตหรือสามารถจะต่อสู้คดีได้ และให้มีอำนาจส่งตัวผู้นั้นไปยังโรงพยาบาลโรคจิตหรือมอบให้แก่ผู้อนุบาล ข้าหลวงประจำจังหวัดหรือผู้อื่นที่เต็มใจรับไปดูแลรักษาก็ได้ตามแต่จะเห็นสมควรกรณีที่ศาลงดการไต่สวนมูลฟ้องหรือพิจารณาดังบัญญัติไว้ในวรรคก่อน ศาลจะสั่งจำหน่ายคดีเสียชั่วคราวก็ได้
traduction anglaise
During an inquiry, a preliminary hearing, or a trial, if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the alleged offender or the defendant is of unsound mind and unable to defend the case, the inquiry official or the court, as the case may be, shall order a medical officer to examine that person. Once completed, that medical officer shall be summoned to give a statement or testimony as to the result of the examination. In the case where the inquiry official or the court is of the opinion that the alleged offender or the defendant is of unsound mind and unable to defend the case, the inquiry, the preliminary hearing, or the trial shall be suspended until that person recovers from the unsound mind or becomes able to defend the case; and there shall be the power to send that person to a psychiatric hospital, or to place the person with a guardian, the provincial governor, or another person willing to take the person into care and treatment, as may be deemed appropriate. Where the court suspends the preliminary hearing or the trial as provided in the preceding paragraph, the court may order the case to be provisionally struck off.
Cette traduction anglaise est fournie à titre indicatif uniquement et n'a pas encore été vérifiée de manière définitive ; référez-vous toujours à l'original thaï.
Annotation de l'entreprise
Section 14 sits in the General Provisions (Title 1) and protects an accused or defendant who cannot understand or participate in the proceedings against them. It applies at three stages: the police inquiry, the preliminary hearing, and the trial. The test is mental fitness to defend, not criminal responsibility at the time of the alleged act, which is a separate substantive question under the Penal Code. A medical examination followed by the medical officer's testimony is mandatory before the court rules on fitness. If unfit, the proceedings are suspended rather than dismissed, and the court may provisionally strike off the case; it revives when the person recovers.
Pourquoi cela est important en pratique
This matters because skipping the medical examination taints the whole proceeding: a conviction reached without following Section 14 can be set aside as unlawful, and because the point concerns public order it can be raised for the first time on appeal to the Supreme Court. Family members of an accused who appears mentally unwell should raise the issue in writing early, since the court has a duty to have a doctor examine and testify before it rules. If a relative is detained and you suspect they are unfit to stand trial, a licensed Thai lawyer can file the motion promptly.
Décisions de la Cour suprême interprétant cette section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 65/2542 (1999)
To be unable to defend the case under Section 14, the person must be insane or so mentally deranged as to be unable to control the mind; a milder mental disorder that merely distorts thinking or personality is not enough.
The Court drew a line between genuine insanity, involving a severe disturbance of feeling or behavior to the point of losing self-control, and a lesser mental illness. It noted that the defendant carried on a trading occupation as a factor against a finding of unfitness under Section 14.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 2594/2542 (1999)
Before convicting, the court must have the examining doctor testify whether the defendant is insane to the degree of being unable to defend; failing to follow the Section 14 procedure makes the proceeding unlawful, and being a matter of public order it may be raised on appeal to the Supreme Court.
The trial and appellate courts convicted without acting on a relative's petition or following Section 14. The Supreme Court held the proceeding unlawful and, using its power under Sections 208(2) and 225, ordered the trial court to send the defendant for a psychiatric examination and to redo the proceedings correctly.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 1816/2541 (1998)
Under Section 14 the trial court has the legal power to rule whether there are grounds to believe the accused or defendant is insane and unable to defend; once it rules the defendant able to defend and the defendant does not object, the proceeding stands.
The Court confirmed that deciding fitness to defend is the trial court's function. Where the court sees the person as insane and unable to defend, it suspends the preliminary hearing or trial until recovery; where it rules the defendant fit and there is no objection, the trial proceeds.
Décisions sélectionnées avec numéros de dossier vérifiés dans la base de données de la Cour suprême. Les versions anglaises sont des traductions éditoriales réalisées par le cabinet à des fins d'étude.
Foire aux questions
What happens if a defendant is mentally unfit to stand trial in Thailand?
Under Section 14, the court has a medical officer examine the defendant. If found of unsound mind and unable to defend, the trial is suspended until recovery, and the person may be sent to a psychiatric hospital or placed in care.
Is a conviction valid if the court did not have the defendant examined under Section 14?
No. If there were grounds to doubt fitness and the court skipped the medical examination required by Section 14, the proceeding is unlawful and the conviction can be set aside on appeal, even if the point was not raised earlier.
Does Section 14 mean the defendant is not guilty by reason of insanity?
No. Section 14 is only about fitness to defend the case procedurally. Whether insanity excuses criminal liability at the time of the act is a separate substantive question under the Penal Code.