Section 56 — Incompetent parties and capacity
Statutory text (Thai original)
ผู้ไร้ความสามารถหรือผู้ทำการแทนจะเสนอข้อหาต่อศาลหรือดำเนินกระบวนพิจารณาใด ๆ ได้ต่อเมื่อได้ปฏิบัติตามบทบัญญัติแห่งประมวลกฎหมายแพ่งและพาณิชย์ว่าด้วยความสามารถและตามบทบัญญัติแห่งประมวลกฎหมายนี้ การให้อนุญาตหรือยินยอมตามบทบัญญัติเช่นว่านั้น ให้ทำเป็นหนังสือยื่นต่อศาลเพื่อรวมไว้ในสำนวนความไม่ว่าเวลาใด ๆ ก่อนมีคำพิพากษาเมื่อศาลเห็นสมควรหรือเมื่อคู่ความฝ่ายหนึ่งฝ่ายใดยื่นคำขอโดยทำเป็นคำร้อง ให้ศาลมีอำนาจทำการสอบสวนในเรื่องความสามารถของผู้ขอหรือของคู่ความอีกฝ่ายหนึ่ง และถ้าเป็นที่พอใจว่ามีการบกพร่องในเรื่องความสามารถ ศาลอาจมีคำสั่งกำหนดให้แก้ไขข้อบกพร่องนั้นเสียให้บริบูรณ์ภายในกำหนดเวลาอันสมควรที่ศาลจะสั่งถ้าศาลเห็นว่าเพื่อความยุติธรรมไม่ควรให้กระบวนพิจารณาดำเนินเนิ่นช้าไป ศาลจะสั่งให้คู่ความฝ่ายที่บกพร่องในเรื่องความสามารถนั้นดำเนินคดีไปก่อนชั่วคราวก็ได้ แต่ห้ามมิให้ศาลพิพากษาในประเด็นแห่งคดีจนกว่าข้อบกพร่องนั้นได้แก้ไขโดยบริบูรณ์แล้วถ้าผู้ไร้ความสามารถไม่มีผู้แทนโดยชอบธรรมหรือผู้แทนโดยชอบธรรมทำหน้าที่ไม่ได้ ศาลมีอำนาจออกคำสั่งให้อนุญาตหรือให้ความยินยอมตามที่ต้องการ หรือตั้งผู้แทนเฉพาะคดีนั้นให้แก่ผู้ไร้ความสามารถ ถ้าไม่มีบุคคลอื่นใดให้ศาลมีอำนาจตั้งพนักงานอัยการหรือเจ้าพนักงานฝ่ายปกครองอื่นให้เป็นผู้แทนได้
English translation
An incompetent person or a person acting on his behalf may submit a claim to the court or take any procedural step only after complying with the provisions of the Civil and Commercial Code on capacity and with the provisions of this Code. Any such permission or consent shall be made in writing and filed with the court to be included in the case file at any time before judgment. When the court thinks fit, or when either party files an application in the form of a motion, the court has power to conduct an inquiry into the capacity of the applicant or of the other party; and if it is satisfied that there is a defect as to capacity, the court may order that defect to be cured in full within a reasonable time that it fixes. If the court is of the opinion that, in the interest of justice, the proceedings ought not to be delayed, it may order the party who is defective as to capacity to proceed with the case provisionally; but the court shall not give judgment on the issues of the case until the defect has been cured in full. If an incompetent person has no lawful representative, or the lawful representative cannot act, the court has power to make an order granting the permission or consent required, or to appoint a representative ad litem for the incompetent person; and if there is no other person, the court has power to appoint a public prosecutor or another administrative official to be the representative.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 56 links Thai procedural law to the substantive capacity rules of the Civil and Commercial Code. An incompetent person, or someone acting for him, can only litigate after those rules are met, with any permission or consent put in writing and filed before judgment. The section is corrective rather than punitive: paragraph two gives the court power, on its own motion or a party's motion, to inquire into capacity and to order a defect cured within a reasonable time, and it may allow the case to proceed provisionally but must not decide the merits until the defect is fully cured. Paragraph three fills gaps in representation, empowering the court to grant the needed consent, appoint a representative ad litem, or, failing anyone else, appoint a public prosecutor or administrative official. Courts apply the section, through section 15 of the Criminal Procedure Code, to capacity defects in criminal cases too.
Why this matters in practice
A defect in capacity is usually fixable, not fatal: if a minor, a person under guardianship, or their representative is involved, the court will normally order the defect cured rather than dismiss outright, so respond promptly to any such order. Common problems are suing on behalf of someone under guardianship without the guardian, or a representative acting without proper authority. Because these issues often overlap with guardianship and family matters, getting the paperwork right at the outset saves delay; a family law consultation can confirm who must sign and what consent must be filed before you start the case.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 4217/2565 (2022)
A defect in a party's capacity is not, by itself, a ground to dismiss or refuse the case outright; under section 56 paragraph two the court should first order the defect cured, though correction may be dispensed with where it would serve no purpose.
A joint prosecutor entered through the father without complying with the rules on capacity of persons. The Supreme Court held that under section 56 paragraph two, read with section 15 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the proper course is to order the defect cured before dismissing; but on the facts, since the outcome would not change, ordering correction was unnecessary.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 2483/2561 (2018)
Where a person signs a pleading without being a registered, licensed lawyer, the resulting defect is one of capacity that the court should order cured under section 56 paragraph two before rejecting the pleading.
A further appeal was drafted and signed under a power of attorney by a person who was not a registered lawyer, contrary to the Lawyers Act. The Supreme Court held this was a defect in capacity that the trial court should have ordered cured under section 56 paragraph two before refusing the further appeal, and remanded so the plaintiff could correct it and the pleading be examined anew.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 3727/2561 (2018)
An incompetent person under guardianship has no power of his own to give a power of attorney to bring suit; whether such a defect is curable under section 56 turns on the capacity rules, and the guardian's involvement is required.
The plaintiff, who was an incompetent person under guardianship, sued by giving a power of attorney to his sister. The Supreme Court noted that at the time he was still incompetent and under the guardian's care, so making the power of attorney to sue was an act he had no power to perform, and the guardian's involvement was required.
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 a minor or a person under guardianship be a party to a civil case?
Yes, but under section 56 the capacity rules of the Civil and Commercial Code must be followed, and any required permission or consent must be filed in writing before judgment. The court can order a defect in capacity to be cured.
What happens if there is a defect in a party's capacity?
Under section 56, the court can order the defect cured within a set time and may let the case proceed provisionally, but it cannot give judgment on the merits until the defect is fully corrected. A defect is generally curable, not a reason for outright dismissal.