Section 14 — Ruling on a challenge is final
Statutory text (Thai original)
เมื่อได้มีการร้องคัดค้านขึ้น และผู้พิพากษาที่ถูกคัดค้านไม่ยอมถอนตัวออกจากการนั่งพิจารณาคดี ให้ศาลฟังคำแถลงของคู่ความฝ่ายที่เกี่ยวข้องและของผู้พิพากษาที่ถูกคัดค้าน กับทำการสืบพยานหลักฐานที่บุคคลเหล่านั้นได้นำมาและพยานหลักฐานอื่นตามที่เห็นสมควร แล้วออกคำสั่งยอมรับหรือยกเสียซึ่งคำคัดค้านนั้น คำสั่งเช่นว่านี้ให้เป็นที่สุดเมื่อศาลที่ผู้พิพากษาแห่งศาลนั้นเองถูกคัดค้าน จะต้องวินิจฉัยชี้ขาดคำคัดค้าน ห้ามมิให้ผู้พิพากษาที่ถูกคัดค้านนั้นนั่งหรือออกเสียงกับผู้พิพากษาอื่น ๆ ในการพิจารณาและชี้ขาดคำคัดค้านนั้นถ้าผู้พิพากษาคนใดได้ถอนตัวออกจากการนั่งพิจารณาคดีก็ดี หรือศาลได้ยอมรับคำคัดค้านผู้พิพากษาคนใดก็ดี ให้ผู้พิพากษาคนอื่นทำการแทนตามบทบัญญัติในพระธรรมนูญศาลยุติธรรม
English translation
When a challenge has been raised and the challenged judge does not agree to withdraw from sitting in the trial of the case, the court shall hear the statements of the party concerned and of the challenged judge, take the evidence adduced by those persons and such other evidence as it thinks fit, and shall then issue an order upholding or dismissing the challenge. Such an order shall be final.
When a court, a judge of which is himself challenged, is to rule on the challenge, the challenged judge shall not sit or vote with the other judges in the consideration and decision of that challenge.
If any judge has withdrawn from sitting in the trial of the case, or if the court has upheld a challenge against any judge, another judge shall act in his place in accordance with the provisions of the Act for the Organization of Courts of Justice.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 14 completes the challenge procedure begun in Section 13. Where the judge refuses to recuse, the court holds a contested determination on statements and evidence and issues an order. The decisive feature is that the order upholding or dismissing the challenge is final, which forecloses appeal of the challenge ruling itself. The section also bars the challenged judge from sitting or voting on the challenge, and it channels replacement of a disqualified or recused judge to the Act for the Organization of Courts of Justice. In practice this finality prevents challenge motions from becoming a separate track of appeals that delay the main case.
Why this matters in practice
The key practical point is finality: once the court rules on your challenge, that ruling cannot be appealed, so put your best evidence and argument in at the hearing. If a challenge succeeds, expect a different judge to take over rather than the case restarting. Because you get one shot at the challenge, prepare it thoroughly with a lawyer.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 87/2565 (2022)
Where a motion to challenge a judge shows no legal ground for the challenge, the court may dismiss it at that stage, and such an order is final under Section 14, so it cannot be appealed.
The plaintiff challenged the judge citing Sections 11(5) and 12. The trial court found the motion disclosed no legal ground and dismissed it, and that order was final under Section 14. Because the order was final, the appeal was barred; the trial court had wrongly admitted it, and the appellate court was right to refuse to consider it.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 79/2565 (2022)
A motion to challenge a judge that discloses no legal ground may be dismissed at the screening stage, and the order is final under Section 14 and cannot be appealed.
The defendant challenged the judge citing Sections 11(1) and 12. The trial court found the motion showed no legal ground for the challenge and dismissed it; that order was final under Section 14. The appeal was therefore barred, and the appellate court properly declined to consider it.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
Can I appeal the court's ruling on my challenge to a judge?
No. Under Section 14 the order upholding or dismissing the challenge is final. This is why the challenge hearing itself is your one opportunity to make the case.
Can the challenged judge decide the challenge against themselves?
No. Section 14 bars the challenged judge from sitting or voting on the consideration and decision of that challenge.
What happens if my challenge succeeds?
Another judge takes over the case in place of the disqualified or recused judge, in accordance with the Act for the Organization of Courts of Justice.