Article 185 — Acquittal or Conviction of the Defendant
Texte légal (original thaï)
ถ้าศาลเห็นว่าจำเลยมิได้กระทำผิดก็ดี การกระทำของจำเลยไม่เป็นความผิดก็ดี คดีขาดอายุความแล้วก็ดี มีเหตุตามกฎหมายที่จำเลยไม่ควรต้องรับโทษก็ดี ให้ศาลยกฟ้องโจทก์ปล่อยจำเลยไป แต่ศาลจะสั่งขังจำเลยไว้หรือปล่อยชั่วคราวระหว่างคดียังไม่ถึงที่สุดก็ได้เมื่อศาลเห็นว่าจำเลยได้กระทำความผิด และไม่มีการยกเว้นโทษตามกฎหมาย ให้ศาลลงโทษแก่จำเลยตามความผิดแต่เมื่อเห็นสมควรจะปล่อยจำเลยชั่วคราวระหว่างคดียังไม่ถึงที่สุดก็ได้
traduction anglaise
If the court is of the opinion that the defendant did not commit the offence, or that the defendant's act is not an offence, or that the case is barred by prescription, or that there is a ground in law on which the defendant should not be punished, the court shall dismiss the charge and release the defendant; but the court may order the defendant detained or grant provisional release while the case is not yet final. When the court is of the opinion that the defendant has committed the offence and there is no exemption from punishment under the law, the court shall impose a penalty on the defendant according to the offence; but when it thinks fit, the court may grant provisional release of the defendant while the case is not yet final.
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 185 states the two possible outcomes of a criminal trial in Title 3 (Judgments and Orders): acquittal or conviction. It lists the grounds for dismissal, namely that the defendant did not commit the act, the act is no offence, the case is time-barred, or a legal ground for non-punishment exists, and confirms that either outcome may be accompanied by an order on custody or provisional release pending finality. Paragraph one has been treated as engaging public order: appellate and supreme courts may raise, of their own motion, a legal ground for acquittal such as an offence being decriminalised or an unproven charge, even if the defendant did not appeal. Paragraph two, on imposing the appropriate penalty, works with Sections 215 and 225 to let higher courts review the fitness of a sentence.
Pourquoi cela est important en pratique
This section is where a defendant's fate is decided, and its grounds for acquittal are broad enough to include not just factual innocence but legal defences like prescription or an act that is not a crime. Importantly, an appeal court can acquit on these public-order grounds even if the defendant did not raise them, and can also revisit whether the sentence fits, so a well-argued appeal can produce relief beyond the specific points raised. Because both acquittal and conviction can be paired with provisional release, a convicted defendant should promptly seek bail pending appeal. Get advice on your prospects before appealing; an consultation en ligne avec un avocat thaïlandais can help you weigh the grounds.
Décisions de la Cour suprême interprétant cette section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 1546/2568 (2025)
A legal ground for acquittal under Section 185 paragraph one is a matter of public order, so an appellate court may raise it of its own motion even though the defendant did not appeal.
Because the prosecution offered no evidence to support the armed-robbery charge, there was a legal ground to acquit. The Supreme Court held that under Section 185 paragraph one with Section 195 paragraph two and Section 215, this was a public-order question the appellate court could raise on its own motion even though the defendant had not appealed it.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 1225/2567 (2024)
Where an act has ceased to be an offence, the appellate court may of its own motion acquit under Section 185 paragraph one with Section 195 paragraph two, as a public-order question within its general power.
Cannabis-related conduct had ceased to be an offence. The Supreme Court held the appellate court had power to acquit on the production and possession charges as a public-order legal question under Section 185 paragraph one and Section 195 paragraph two, and that doing so did not conflict with the special narcotics-procedure law.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 7946/2568 (2025)
Once a case reaches the Supreme Court, it has power under Section 185 paragraph two with Sections 215 and 225 to consider whether the penalty imposed by the appellate court is appropriate.
The Supreme Court held that once the case was before it, it could review whether the penalty the appellate court imposed was appropriate, invoking Section 185 paragraph two together with Sections 215 and 225, and examined the sentencing for the electronic-card offence on that basis.
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
On what grounds can a Thai court dismiss a criminal charge?
Under Section 185, if the defendant did not commit the offence, the act is not an offence, the case is barred by prescription, or a legal ground for non-punishment exists, the court dismisses the charge and releases the defendant.
Can an appeal court acquit on grounds the defendant did not raise?
Yes. The grounds in Section 185 paragraph one concern public order, so appellate and supreme courts may raise them on their own motion, for example where an act has been decriminalised.