NHRC hopes charter will give it more power

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) wants more power to take court action, and hopes the new constitution will deliver it. Sunee Chaiyaros, a rights commissioner and former charter drafter, said the commission should be empowered to act as a plaintiff, prosecutor or damaged party on behalf of the public, if necessary.

It should also be able to take any laws it believes to be unconstitutional to the Constitution Court and any inconsistent regulations to the Administrative Court.

She said the ideas were raised at all four public hearings which the commission has held around the country since November.

A final public hearing in the South is planned for next month, she said.

At the hearings, the NHRC gauged views on the charter from people's networks, including women's rights and labour groups.

The forums focused on questions of freedom, decentralisation of power and human rights protection.

People who turned up agreed that the charter must spell out how to strengthen people's rights. If an organic law was needed, a timeframe should be specified for drafting or amending it to prevent indefinite delays, she said.

She said the findings of the hearings would be presented to Constitution Drafting Committee chairman Prasong Soonsiri this month.

Bangkok Post
Friday February 02, 2007