Section 6 — Court-appointed representative for the case
Statutory text (Thai original)
ในคดีอาญาซึ่งผู้เสียหายเป็นผู้เยาว์ไม่มีผู้แทนโดยชอบธรรม หรือเป็นผู้วิกลจริตหรือคนไร้ความสามารถไม่มีผู้อนุบาล หรือซึ่งผู้แทนโดยชอบธรรมหรือผู้อนุบาลไม่สามารถจะทำการตามหน้าที่โดยเหตุหนึ่งเหตุใด รวมทั้งมีผลประโยชน์ขัดกันกับผู้เยาว์หรือคนไร้ความสามารถนั้น ๆ ญาติของผู้นั้น หรือผู้มีประโยชน์เกี่ยวข้องอาจร้องต่อศาลขอให้ตั้งเขาเป็นผู้แทนเฉพาะคดีได้เมื่อได้ไต่สวนแล้วให้ศาลตั้งผู้ร้องหรือบุคคลอื่น ซึ่งยินยอมตามที่เห็นสมควรเป็นผู้แทนเฉพาะคดี เมื่อไม่มีบุคคลใดเป็นผู้แทนให้ศาลตั้งพนักงานฝ่ายปกครองเป็นผู้แทนห้ามมิให้เรียกค่าธรรมเนียมในเรื่องขอตั้งเป็นผู้แทนเฉพาะคดี
English translation
In a criminal case where the injured person is a minor who has no legal representative, or is of unsound mind or an incompetent person who has no guardian, or where the legal representative or guardian is unable to perform his duties for any reason, including having a conflict of interest with the minor or incompetent person, a relative of that person or an interested person may apply to the Court to appoint him as representative for the particular case. After holding an inquiry, the Court shall appoint the applicant, or another suitable and consenting person, as representative for the particular case. Where there is no such person, the Court shall appoint an administrative official as representative. No fees shall be charged in the matter of applying to be appointed as representative for the particular case.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 6 is the safety valve for Section 5(1): where a minor or incompetent victim is left without a functioning representative, or the natural representative has a conflict of interest, the court can appoint a representative for the case after an inquiry. Courts use it precisely where a parent is hostile to the child or otherwise adverse in interest, appointing a relative or other suitable person instead, and the application is free of court fees.
Why this matters in practice
If the person who would normally speak for a child or incompetent victim is the very person causing the harm, or otherwise conflicted, Section 6 lets another relative apply to the court to take over the case, at no filing cost. Because the court holds an inquiry first, prepare evidence of the relationship and the conflict. Knowing what to expect in a Thai court helps such applications go smoothly.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 4536/2565 (2022)
Where the guardian is adverse to the minor victim, the court may, after an inquiry, appoint an applicant as representative for the case under Section 6 and refuse the conflicted guardian's application to join the prosecution.
The applicant contended that the mother, who held parental power, was behaving adversely to the injured minor, and asked to be appointed representative for the case under Section 6. After an inquiry, the court appointed the applicant as representative with power to conduct the case, dismissed the mother's application to join as co-plaintiff, and allowed the minor to join the prosecution through the appointed representative.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 1847/2563 (2020)
The court may appoint one injured person as representative for the case of a minor injured person under Section 6 after an inquiry, and then allow both to join the prosecution on their respective charges.
Where the defendant objected that injured person 2 was not the lawful representative of the minor injured person 1, the court held an inquiry and appointed injured person 2 as representative for the case under Section 6. It then allowed both to join as co-plaintiffs, each on the charges affecting them.
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 is a representative for the case under the Thai Criminal Procedure Code?
Under Section 6, it is a person the court appoints to act for a minor or incompetent victim who has no representative, or whose representative cannot act or has a conflict of interest.
Is there a court fee to be appointed representative for the case?
No. Section 6 expressly prohibits charging any fee for an application to be appointed representative for the particular case.
What if a parent has a conflict of interest with the child victim?
Section 6 allows a relative or interested person to apply to the court, which after an inquiry may appoint them instead of the conflicted parent.