Section 193 ter — Certified Leave to Appeal a Barred Case
Statutory text (Thai original)
ในคดีซึ่งต้องห้ามอุทธรณ์ตามมาตรา ๑๙๓ ทวิ
ถ้าผู้พิพากษาคนใดซึ่งพิจารณาหรือลงชื่อในคำพิพากษาหรือทำความเห็นแย้งในศาลชั้นต้นพิเคราะห์เห็นว่าข้อความที่ตัดสินนั้นเป็นปัญหาสำคัญอันควรสู่ศาลอุทธรณ์และอนุญาตให้อุทธรณ์หรืออธิบดีกรมอัยการหรือพนักงานอัยการซึ่งอธิบดีกรมอัยการได้มอบหมายลงลายมือชื่อรับรองในอุทธรณ์ว่า
มีเหตุอันควรที่ศาลอุทธรณ์จะได้วินิจฉัยก็ให้รับอุทธรณ์นั้นไว้พิจารณาต่อไป
English translation
In a case in which an appeal is prohibited under Section 193 bis, if any judge who tried the case or signed the judgment, or who wrote a dissenting opinion, in the Court of First Instance considers that the matter adjudged is an important question that ought to be submitted to the Court of Appeal and grants leave to appeal, or if the Director-General of the Public Prosecution Department, or a public prosecutor to whom the Director-General has delegated the power, signs a certification in the appeal that there is good cause for the Court of Appeal to decide it, then such appeal shall be accepted for further consideration.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 193 ter is the safety valve for the appeal bar in Section 193 bis, opening a certification route when a low-penalty case nevertheless raises a question worth appellate review. Only specific persons may unlock it: a judge who actually tried the case, signed the judgment, or wrote a dissent in the Court of First Instance, or the Director-General of the Public Prosecution Department or a prosecutor delegated by him. The certifying judge must be one connected to the decision; a chief judge who did not try or sign the case cannot grant leave, and applying to the wrong person is ineffective. The provision is frequently tested in juvenile and district-court settings, where litigants mistakenly seek certification from a chief judge or an official the section does not name.
Why this matters in practice
If your fact appeal is barred in a minor case, this section is your fallback, but you must approach the right person: a judge who tried or signed your case (or wrote a dissent), not the chief judge of the court, or the Director-General of Public Prosecution through a prosecutor. Getting this wrong is fatal, because leave granted by an unauthorized judge is void and the appeal will be struck out, even if the trial court initially accepted it. Watch the fifteen-day and one-month deadlines that still apply to filing. This is a technical step where a lawyer's help pays off, so consider a paid consultation with a Thai lawyer before you request certification.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 413/2560 (2017)
Leave to appeal a barred fact case must come from the judge who signed the judgment; a request to the chief judge instead, without that judge's leave, is unlawful under Section 193 ter.
In a juvenile case barred from fact appeal under Section 193 bis, the defendant asked the chief judge of the juvenile and family court to grant leave rather than the judge who signed the trial judgment. The Supreme Court held this was unlawful and contrary to Section 193 ter, although it separately reduced the outcome on the merits given the youth and circumstances of the offender.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 9648/2559 (2016)
A chief judge who did not try, sign, or dissent in the case cannot grant leave to appeal under Section 193 ter, so accepting such an appeal is unlawful and may be raised as a public-order point.
The chief judge of the juvenile and family court was not a judge who tried, signed, or wrote a dissent in the trial judgment, so under Section 193 ter he could not grant leave to appeal. The Supreme Court held that the trial court's acceptance of the appeal and the Court of Appeal Region 1's ruling on it were therefore unlawful, a public-order point it could raise on its own under Sections 195 paragraph 2 and 225.
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 can I appeal a minor case where fact appeal is barred?
Under Section 193 ter, a judge who tried or signed your case (or wrote a dissent) may grant leave to appeal on an important point, or the Director-General of Public Prosecution or a delegated prosecutor may certify good cause, allowing the appeal to proceed.
Can the chief judge of the court grant leave to appeal under Section 193 ter?
Not unless that judge actually tried, signed, or dissented in your case. Leave granted by a chief judge who was not connected to the decision is void, and the appeal will be rejected.