Section 21/1 — Police Commissioner decides responsibility
Texte légal (original thaï)
สำหรับการสอบสวนซึ่งอยู่ในความรับผิดชอบของเจ้าพนักงานตำรวจ ในกรณีที่ไม่แน่ว่าพนักงานสอบสวนคนใดในจังหวัดเดียวกันหรือในกองบัญชาการเดียวกันควรเป็นพนักงานสอบสวนผู้รับผิดชอบ ให้ผู้บัญชาการซึ่งเป็นผู้บังคับบัญชาของพนักงานสอบสวนนั้นเป็นผู้ชี้ขาดการรอคำสั่งชี้ขาด ไม่เป็นเหตุให้งดการสอบสวน
traduction anglaise
For an inquiry which is under the responsibility of police officials, in the case where it is uncertain which inquiry official in the same province or in the same command should be the responsible inquiry official, the Commissioner who is the superior of that inquiry official shall be the person to decide. Awaiting the decision shall not be a ground for suspending the inquiry.
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 21/1 modernizes the tie-breaker of Section 21 for police-run inquiries by routing the decision through the police chain of command. Where uncertainty arises between inquiry officials in the same province or within the same command, the Commissioner who is their superior decides who is responsible, aligning the decision-maker with the current structure of the police service rather than the older provincial-governor model. Like Section 21, it preserves momentum by stating that awaiting the decision does not suspend the inquiry. The section applies specifically to inquiries under police responsibility, and it should be read alongside Sections 18 to 21 as part of the framework allocating inquiry responsibility.
Pourquoi cela est important en pratique
For most defendants this is an internal administrative rule rather than a defense: it settles which police inquiry official is responsible without stopping the investigation. Its practical effect is to prevent delay and to give a clear answer inside the police service when responsibility is contested. If your concern is not merely which of two officials should act but whether any of them had jurisdiction at all, that is governed by Sections 18 to 20, and a licensed Thai lawyer can identify which question your case actually raises.
Foire aux questions
Who decides which police inquiry official is responsible under Section 21/1?
For inquiries under police responsibility, where it is uncertain which official in the same province or command should be responsible, the Commissioner who is their superior decides.
How does Section 21/1 differ from Section 21?
Section 21/1 specifically covers police-run inquiries and routes the decision to the Commissioner in the police chain of command, whereas Section 21 uses the provincial governor and the head of the Public Prosecution Department. Both keep the inquiry running while awaiting the decision.