Section 241 — Oral submissions on appeal
Statutory text (Thai original)
ถ้าคู่ความฝ่ายใดประสงค์จะมาแถลงการณ์ด้วยวาจาในชั้นศาลอุทธรณ์ ให้ขอมาในตอนท้ายคำฟ้องอุทธรณ์ หรือคำแก้อุทธรณ์ แล้วแต่กรณี และให้ศาลอุทธรณ์กำหนดนัดฟังคำแถลงการณ์ด้วยวาจานั้น เว้นแต่ศาลอุทธรณ์จะพิจารณาเห็นว่าการแถลงการณ์ด้วยวาจาไม่จำเป็นแก่คดี จะสั่งงดฟังคำแถลงการณ์เสียก็ได้ ในกรณีที่ศาลอุทธรณ์นัดฟังคำแถลงการณ์ด้วยวาจา คู่ความอีกฝ่ายหนึ่งชอบที่จะไปแถลงการณ์ด้วยวาจาในชั้นศาลอุทธรณ์ได้ด้วย ถึงแม้ว่าตนจะมิได้แสดงความประสงค์ไว้การแถลงการณ์ด้วยวาจา ผู้ขอแถลง เป็นผู้แถลงก่อนแล้วอีกฝ่ายหนึ่งแถลงแก้ แล้วผู้ขอแถลง แถลงได้อีกครั้งหนึ่ง ถ้าขอแถลงทั้งสองฝ่าย ให้ผู้อุทธรณ์แถลงก่อน ถ้าทั้งสองฝ่ายอุทธรณ์และต่างขอแถลง ให้ศาลอุทธรณ์พิจารณาสั่ง
English translation
If any party wishes to appear and make oral submissions before the appellate court, the party shall so request at the end of the appeal or the answer to the appeal, as the case may be, and the appellate court shall fix a date to hear such oral submissions, unless the appellate court is of the opinion that oral submissions are unnecessary for the case, in which case it may order that the hearing of submissions be dispensed with. Where the appellate court has fixed a date to hear oral submissions, the other party is entitled to make oral submissions before the appellate court as well, even though that party did not express such an intention. In making oral submissions, the party who requested to make submissions shall submit first, then the other party shall submit in reply, and the requesting party may then submit once more. If both parties requested to make submissions, the appellant shall submit first. If both parties appealed and each requested to make submissions, the appellate court shall decide the order.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 241 governs oral submissions at the appellate stage, an adjunct to the file-based decision method in Section 240. A party must request oral submissions in the tail of its appeal or answer; otherwise the court decides on the papers. Even when a request is made, the appellate court retains discretion to dispense with oral submissions where it considers them unnecessary, and this discretion has been recognised as belonging to the court. If a hearing is set, the opposing party may also make submissions, and the Section prescribes the sequence of speaking. The provision applies by analogy in related jurisdictions, including through the Criminal Procedure Code.
Why this matters in practice
If oral submissions matter to you, request them expressly at the end of your appeal or answer, because there is no automatic hearing. Even so, be prepared for the court to dispense with the hearing if it considers oral argument unnecessary; that is within its discretion and is not itself a ground of complaint. Make sure your written appeal or answer fully makes your case, since the court can and often will decide on the file alone. If a hearing is set, note the order of speaking so you use your turn effectively.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 334/2511 (1968)
Dispensing with oral submissions is within the discretion of the appellate court under Section 241, which the court may exercise where it considers oral submissions unnecessary.
Counsel had asked to make oral submissions, but the appellate court found them unnecessary and dispensed with them. The Supreme Court held that this was within the appellate court's discretion under Section 241, applied through Section 15 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
How do I request to make oral submissions in the Court of Appeal?
Under Section 241, you request it at the end of your appeal or answer to the appeal. The appellate court then fixes a date, unless it finds oral submissions unnecessary.
Can the court refuse to hear oral submissions?
Yes. Even if a party requested them, the appellate court has discretion under Section 241 to dispense with oral submissions where it considers them unnecessary for the case.
If the other side requested a hearing, can I speak too?
Yes. Where the appellate court has set a date to hear oral submissions, the other party may also make oral submissions even if it did not request them.