In a letter to the House of Representatives, the Office of the Secretary-General of the court said judges had reviewed the House’s petition concerning Mr Udom’s comments and found no evidence that they compromised the court’s independence or integrity, reports the Bangkok Post.
The letter, dated Oct 4, was in response to concerns expressed by MPs over remarks made by Mr Udom at a forum in Surat Thani on Aug 15, a week after the dissolution of the Move Forward Party.
The Constitutional Court on Aug 7 ordered the party disbanded on grounds that its policy to push for amendments to the lese-majeste law was an attempt to subvert the constitutional monarchy.
The People’s Party, the successor to Move Forward, subsequently registered more than 33,000 members and raised more than 20 million baht in less than a day after it was launched on Aug 9.
During the talk in Surat Thani, Mr Udom said the dissolution of Forward might not be all bad news, given how much money the People’s Party managed to raise in such a short time.
In their response, the judges pointed out Mr Udom was answering legal questions about party regulations at an academic forum hosted by the Office of the Constitutional Court.
His remarks, they said, did not ridicule any party, nor did they compromise the court’s independence, reputation or dignity. The court’s response is scheduled to be discussed at a House meeting on Oct 17.
Mr Udom faced heavy criticism following his comments, which many deemed inappropriate and inconsistent with the ethical standards expected of members of independent public bodies.
Some critics suggested that he could be subject to an ethics investigation, but an attempt to push for one in the Senate was voted down last month.
Move Forward won the general election in 2023 but its attempts to change Section 112 of the Criminal Code, the lese-majeste law, cost it a chance to form a coalition government.