Section 45 — Loss of a representative or capacity
Statutory text (Thai original)
ถ้าปรากฏต่อศาลว่าคู่ความฝ่ายหนึ่งตกเป็นผู้ไร้ความสามารถก็ดี หรือผู้แทนโดยชอบธรรมของคู่ความฝ่ายที่เป็นผู้ไร้ความสามารถได้มรณะหรือหมดอำนาจเป็นผู้แทนก็ดี ให้ศาลเลื่อนการนั่งพิจารณาไปภายในระยะเวลาอันสมควรเพื่อผู้แทนโดยชอบธรรมหรือผู้แทนโดยชอบธรรมคนใหม่จะได้แจ้งให้ทราบถึงการได้รับแต่งตั้งของตนโดยยื่นคำขอเป็นคำร้องต่อศาลเพื่อการนั้น ถ้ามิได้ยื่นคำขอดังกล่าวมาแล้วให้นำมาตรา ๕๖ มาใช้บังคับถ้าผู้แทนหรือทนายความของคู่ความได้มรณะ หรือหมดอำนาจเป็นผู้แทน ให้ศาลเลื่อนการนั่งพิจารณาไปจนกว่าตัวความจะได้ยื่นคำร้องต่อศาลแจ้งให้ทราบถึงการที่ได้แต่งตั้งผู้แทนหรือทนายความขึ้นใหม่ หรือคู่ความฝ่ายนั้นมีความประสงค์จะมาว่าคดีด้วยตนเอง แต่ถ้าศาลเห็นสมควรหรือเมื่อคู่ความอีกฝ่ายหนึ่งมีคำขอฝ่ายเดียว ให้ศาลมีอำนาจสั่งกำหนดระยะเวลาไว้พอสมควร เพื่อให้ตัวความมีโอกาสแจ้งให้ทราบถึงการแต่งตั้งหรือความประสงค์ของตนนั้นก็ได้ในกรณีเช่นว่านี้ ถ้าตัวความมิได้แจ้งให้ทราบภายในระยะเวลาที่กำหนดไว้ ศาลจะมีคำสั่งให้เริ่มการนั่งพิจารณาต่อไปในวันใด ๆ ตามที่เห็นสมควรก็ได้บทบัญญัติแห่งวรรคก่อนนั้น ให้นำมาใช้บังคับแก่กรณีที่ผู้แทนโดยชอบธรรมของผู้ไร้ความสามารถหมดอำนาจลงเพราะเหตุที่บุคคลนั้นได้มีความสามารถขึ้นแล้วด้วยโดยอนุโลม
English translation
If it appears to the court that one party has become a person of incapacity, or that the statutory representative of a party who is a person of incapacity has died or has ceased to have authority as representative, the court shall postpone the hearing for a reasonable period so that the statutory representative, or a new statutory representative, may give notice of his appointment by submitting an application in the form of a motion to the court for that purpose. If no such application is submitted, section 56 shall apply. If the representative or counsel of a party has died or has ceased to have authority as representative, the court shall postpone the hearing until the party has filed a motion with the court giving notice that a new representative or counsel has been appointed, or until that party expresses the wish to conduct the case in person. However, if the court thinks fit or upon the ex parte application of the other party, the court shall have the power to fix a reasonable period so that the party has the opportunity to give notice of such appointment or of his wish. In such a case, if the party fails to give notice within the period fixed, the court may order the hearing to be resumed on any day as it thinks fit. The provisions of the preceding paragraph shall apply mutatis mutandis to the case where the statutory representative of a person of incapacity ceases to have authority by reason that such person has regained capacity.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 45 protects a party's right to be properly represented when something disrupts that representation during the case. It covers three situations: a party becoming a person of incapacity, the death or loss of authority of the statutory representative of an incapacitated party, and the death or loss of authority of a party's representative or counsel. In each, the court postpones the hearing for a reasonable period so a new representative or counsel can be appointed and notice given by motion, or so the party can elect to appear in person. Where an incapacitated party's statutory representative loses authority, if no application is made the court applies section 56. The final paragraph extends the rule to the case where the representative's authority ends because the incapacitated person regains capacity. The court retains power to fix a period and, if notice is not given, to resume the hearing.
Why this matters in practice
If your lawyer dies, resigns, or loses authority mid-case, or if you or your representative loses legal capacity, the case does not just carry on against you unheard: the court pauses to let a new lawyer or representative come on record, or to let you take over in person. But this protection has limits. The court can fix a deadline to sort out representation, and if you miss it the hearing resumes, so move quickly to appoint new counsel and file the notice. If you need to change lawyers, our guide on choosing a lawyer in Thailand can help you find a replacement promptly.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 994/2497 (1954)
Where a party's authorised representative loses authority because the empowering law is repealed, the court may postpone the case under section 45 to give that party the opportunity to obtain a newly authorised representative to continue the proceedings.
The law under which the plaintiff side's representative had been empowered was repealed by a later administrative statute, so that representative lost authority. The Supreme Court ordered the trial court to postpone the case under section 45 to give the plaintiff side the opportunity to obtain a representative newly authorised by the Ministry of Finance to continue the proceedings. Once the Ministry's fresh power of attorney was filed and counsel appointed, the Supreme Court took the case up for further consideration.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if my lawyer dies or loses authority during my case?
Under section 45, the court postpones the hearing until you file a motion notifying it that a new representative or counsel has been appointed, or that you will conduct the case yourself. The court may fix a reasonable period for you to do so.
What if a party becomes legally incapacitated during the case?
Under section 45, the court postpones the hearing for a reasonable period so the statutory representative or a new one can give notice of appointment by motion. If no such application is made, section 56 applies.