NCJ Number
209409
Date Published
July 2004
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This paper examines the introduction of restorative justice processes into the Thai criminal justice system.
Abstract
Thailand, like many other Asian countries, has cultural traditions that incorporate many elements of restorative justice; many of these traditions continue on today as communal justice in some rural areas. This solid background in restorative justice practices, coupled with the problems of conventional criminal justice, has led to a growing interest in implementing restorative justice in Thailand. Following the introduction, the second section of the article discusses why restorative justice has received interest in Thailand. Among these reasons are the shortcomings of the conventional criminal justice system, the need for more community involvement in the criminal justice process, increased interest in the rights of victims, and other recent criminal justice reforms that have been instituted in Thailand. The third section reviews how restorative justice was introduced in Thailand while the fourth section outlines the Drug Rehabilitation Act of 2002, which served as an important foundation for restorative justice processes in Thailand. The fifth section explains that restorative justice processes in Thailand are to be given a trial application for the resolution of domestic violence cases. While this domestic violence 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.” Finally the author offers some thoughts on the future of restorative justice in Thailand. Footnotes