Section 44/2 — Handling the victim's compensation motion
Statutory text (Thai original)
เมื่อได้รับคำร้องตามมาตรา ๔๔/๑ ให้ศาลแจ้งให้จำเลยทราบ
หากจำเลยให้การประการใดหรือไม่ประสงค์จะให้การให้ศาลบันทึกไว้
ถ้าหากจำเลยประสงค์จะทำคำให้การเป็นหนังสือให้ศาลกำหนดระยะเวลายื่นคำให้การตามที่เห็นสมควร
และเมื่อพนักงานอัยการสืบพยานเสร็จศาลจะอนุญาตให้ผู้เสียหายนำพยานเข้าสืบถึงค่าสินไหมทดแทนได้เท่าที่จำเป็น
หรือศาลจะพิจารณาพิพากษาคดีอาญาไปก่อนแล้วพิจารณาพิพากษาคดีส่วนแพ่งในภายหลังก็ได้ถ้าความปรากฏต่อศาลว่าผู้ยื่นคำร้องตามมาตรา
๔๔/๑ เป็นคนยากจนไม่สามารถจัดหาทนายความได้เอง
ให้ศาลมีอำนาจตั้งทนายความให้แก่ผู้นั้น โดยทนายความที่ได้รับแต่งตั้งมีสิทธิได้รับเงินรางวัลและค่าใช้จ่ายตามระเบียบที่คณะกรรมการบริหารศาลยุติธรรมกำหนด
English translation
When a motion under section 44/1 is received, the court shall notify the defendant. If the defendant makes any answer or does not wish to answer, the court shall record it. If the defendant wishes to make a written answer, the court shall fix a period for filing the answer as it thinks fit. When the public prosecutor has finished taking evidence, the court may permit the injured person to adduce evidence on the compensation only so far as necessary; or the court may try and adjudge the criminal case first and try and adjudge the civil part afterwards. If it appears to the court that the applicant under section 44/1 is a poor person unable to procure a lawyer, the court shall have power to appoint a lawyer for that person, and the appointed lawyer is entitled to reward and expenses according to the regulations prescribed by the Judicial Administration Commission.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 44/2 governs the mechanics after a compensation motion under section 44/1 is filed. The court must give notice to the defendant, who may answer orally or in writing within a period the court sets. Once the prosecution's evidence is complete, the court has discretion to let the victim call evidence on the amount of compensation, limited to what is necessary, or to give the criminal judgment first and deal with the civil part later. That severance power means a procedural flaw confined to the civil part does not taint the criminal judgment. A distinctive feature is legal aid: for a poor applicant unable to find a lawyer, the court may appoint one, paid under Judicial Administration Commission regulations.
Why this matters in practice
Two points matter to a victim here. First, if you want to prove a larger loss, ask the court to let you adduce evidence on compensation after the prosecution closes, and be ready, because the court allows only what is necessary and may otherwise decide the criminal case first. Second, if the trial court skips the civil part, that is a civil-side defect that does not undo the conviction, so the fix is on the civil claim, not the criminal one. If you cannot afford representation, raise your financial situation early so the court can consider appointing a lawyer.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 4136/2567 (2024)
Under Section 44/2 paragraph one the court may adjudge the criminal case first and the civil part later, so a defect confined to the civil part does not affect the criminal judgment.
The trial court had not properly conducted the civil proceedings for the two claimants, but the Court held this was a defect confined to the civil part that did not affect the lawful criminal proceedings. Because Section 44/2 paragraph one lets the court adjudge the criminal case first and the civil part later, the Supreme Court proceeded to decide the criminal case.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 4413/2565 (2022)
A failure to conduct the civil part correctly is a civil-side defect only; the court may still decide the criminal case first under Section 44/2 paragraph one.
As in similar cases, the trial court's mishandling of the civil part relating to the claimant did not affect the properly conducted criminal proceedings. Relying on Section 44/2 paragraph one, which allows the criminal case to be adjudged first and the civil part later, the Supreme Court went on to decide the criminal case.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 14919/2557 (2014)
Section 44/2 gives the trial court discretion to permit the injured person to adduce further evidence on compensation only so far as necessary, building on the prosecution's evidence of the offence and the harm.
The trial court had not allowed the co-plaintiff to adduce evidence in the civil part, and the co-plaintiff had not waived doing so. The Court explained that Section 44/2 makes it a matter of the trial court's discretion to permit the injured person to prove compensation as necessary, provided the prosecution had adduced evidence of the offence and the resulting harm.
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 the criminal court decide the criminal case before the compensation claim?
Yes. Under Section 44/2 the court may try and adjudge the criminal case first and deal with the civil compensation part afterwards. A defect in the civil part does not affect the criminal judgment.
Can a poor victim get a free lawyer to claim compensation?
Yes. If the applicant under Section 44/1 is poor and cannot procure a lawyer, the court may appoint one, whose reward and expenses are paid under court regulations.