Section 226/5 — Use of Prior Recorded Testimony
Texte légal (original thaï)
ในชั้นพิจารณาหากมีเหตุจำเป็นหรือเหตุอันสมควร
ศาลอาจรับฟังบันทึกคำเบิกความในชั้นไต่สวนมูลฟ้องหรือบันทึกคำเบิกความของพยานที่เบิกความไว้ในคดีอื่นประกอบพยานหลักฐานอื่นในคดีได้
traduction anglaise
At the trial stage, where there is necessity or reasonable cause, the court may admit the record of testimony given at the preliminary hearing, or the record of testimony of a witness given in another case, together with other evidence in the case.
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 226/5 allows recorded prior testimony to be recycled into the current trial where there is necessity or reasonable cause, for example when a witness has died, is seriously ill, or cannot be located. It sits in Book 5 General Principles and functions as an exception to the ideal of live testimony given before the trial court. Because the defendant in the present case had no chance to cross-examine on that earlier occasion, the material is only ever admitted to accompany other evidence, and its weight is governed by the cautionary rule in Section 227/1. It commonly appears alongside the hearsay gateways of Section 226/3.
Pourquoi cela est important en pratique
This section matters when a key witness cannot appear at your trial. The prosecution or defense may seek to read in that person's earlier sworn testimony, but it only counts as supporting evidence and cannot carry a conviction alone. Since you lose the chance to cross-examine, the court must weigh it carefully under Section 227/1. If a witness in your case is abroad, ill, or otherwise unavailable, discuss early with your lawyer whether prior testimony can be used and how to challenge its weight.
Décisions de la Cour suprême interprétant cette section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 765/2567 (2024)
Under Section 226/5 the court may admit a witness's testimony given in another case where there is necessity, such as serious illness, but must weigh testimony the defendant could not cross-examine with special caution.
The plaintiff's testimony had been given in another case and not in the presence of the second and third defendants. The court held that although Section 226/5 permits admitting such testimony where the plaintiff was too ill to attend, testimony the defendants could not cross-examine must be weighed with great care.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 3069/2565 (2022)
The record of an injured person's testimony given in another criminal case may be admitted to support other evidence under Section 226/5 where there is reasonable cause in the interest of justice.
The court admitted the record of the first injured person's testimony from an earlier criminal case, together with the hearsay gateway of Section 226/3 paragraph two (2), holding there was reasonable cause to receive it as supporting evidence under Section 226/5.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 1518/2565 (2022)
Testimony a witness previously gave in another case may be admitted under Section 226/5 where there is reasonable cause, and consistency with that prior testimony bears on the witness's credibility.
The witness's trial testimony matched her investigation statement and her earlier testimony in another case, which the court held admissible under Section 226/5; the later inconsistency raised on cross-examination did not overcome the consistent record.
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
Can testimony from another case be used against me?
Yes, under Section 226/5 the court may admit a witness's testimony recorded in another case or at the preliminary hearing where there is necessity or reasonable cause, but only as evidence supporting the other evidence, not as a standalone basis for conviction.
What if I could not cross-examine that witness?
Because you had no chance to cross-examine, the court must weigh the prior testimony with caution under Section 227/1 and should not convict on it alone without compelling reasons or corroboration.