NCJ Number
209410
Date Published
July 2004
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper reviews the rights of victims of crime in Thailand.
Abstract
Within the conventional criminal justice system, the rights of victims are eschewed in favor of the state prosecution of offenders, effectively squeezing victims out of the process of criminal justice. Only recently in Thailand have victims of crime been extended protections under law, mainly as a result of several provisions drafted into the Constitution of 1997. Additionally, a new agency called the Department of Rights and Liberties Protection includes a division on victims’ assistance, which is currently preparing regulations for a victim compensation scheme. Victims’ rights to information and participation in criminal justice proceedings are discussed, as are a victim’s right to restitution and compensation in Thailand. Generally, there are several legal provisions under Thai law that guarantee crime victims certain rights to information regarding criminal proceedings and allow various ways for victims to participate in the criminal justice process and to gain compensation or restitution directly from offenders or from the state. Finally, the author describes the pilot project for restorative justice in Thailand for domestic violence victims, named the “husband rehabilitation clinic” by the media. The goal of the program is to set up a diversion program at the prosecution level for the treatment of abusive husbands. Although the program has received overwhelming public support, the Office of the Attorney General has expressed reluctance to initiate the program without any “back up law on it.” Footnotes