Section 9 — Requirements for an official memorandum
Statutory text (Thai original)
บันทึกต้องระบุสถานที่ วันเดือนปีที่ทำ นามและตำแหน่งของเจ้าพนักงานผู้ทำเมื่อเจ้าพนักงานทำบันทึกโดยรับคำสั่งจากศาลหรือโดยคำสั่งหรือคำขอของเจ้าพนักงานอื่น ให้เจ้าพนักงานนั้นกล่าวไว้ด้วยว่าได้รับคำสั่งหรือคำขอเช่นนั้น และแสดงด้วยว่าได้ทำไปอย่างใดให้เจ้าพนักงานผู้ทำบันทึกลงลายมือชื่อของตนในบันทึกนั้น
English translation
A memorandum shall state the place and the date on which it is made, and the name and position of the official who makes it. Where an official makes a memorandum on the order of the Court, or by the order or request of another official, that official shall so state, and shall also show what has been done. The official who makes the memorandum shall sign his name in it.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 9 is one of the Code's formality provisions, alongside Sections 10, 11 and 12, that govern how official documents in a criminal case are drawn up. It fixes the essential particulars of a memorandum made by an official, ensuring the record shows who made it, where, when, and under whose authority. These formalities support the reliability of memoranda used as evidence, and connect with the definition of "memorandum" in Section 2(20).
Why this matters in practice
For litigants, Section 9 is a checklist for testing whether an official memorandum in the file was properly made. A memorandum missing the place, date, the officer's name and position, or signature, or that hides that it was made on another's order, may be open to challenge on reliability. Defense teams often scrutinize these formalities when contesting the weight of investigative records.
Frequently asked questions
What must an official memorandum contain under the Thai Criminal Procedure Code?
Under Section 9, it must state the place and date it was made, the name and position of the officer, any order or request it was made under, and it must be signed by that officer.
What happens if a memorandum is missing required details?
The Code requires these particulars for reliability, so a memorandum lacking them, such as the officer's signature, may be challenged when its evidential weight is assessed.