On 14 August, the Constitutional Court will deliver its verdict on a petition seeking the dismissal of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin for appointing a person with a criminal record to a cabinet position.

Following a discussion on 24 July, the judges agreed to issue a ruling on 14 August.  The verdict will delivered at 15.00.

The Court reportedly has sufficient evidence to rule on the case and no further deliberation is needed.

A complaint was filed in May by a group of 40 outgoing senators who claimed that the PM violated the Constitution by appointing lawyer Pichit Chuenban as a cabinet minister attached to the PM’s Office. The petition seeks the removal of both Srettha and Pichit from their respective offices.

Pichit is a former lawyer with a close relationship with the Shinawatra family. He was entrusted with countering lawsuits targeting Thaksin. During the administration of Yingluck Shinawatra, he served as both an MP and the leader of a legal team defending her in the rice-pledging scheme scandal.

Pichit was jailed for contempt of court in 2008 and had his law license suspended for 5 years after he allegedly attempted to bribe Supreme Court officials with 2 million baht hidden in a paper bag.  The incident occurred when he was representing former PM Thaksin Shinawatra and his ex-wife Potjaman Na Pombejra in the Ratchadaphisek land case. Thaksin was sentenced to 2 years in prison in 2008. Pichit and two of his colleagues were given 6-month jail terms.

After the complaint was filed, Pichit announced his resignation from the ministerial position.

The verdict in this case will come after the 7 August ruling on a petition seeking the dissolution of the poll-winning Move Forward Party for its election campaign to amend the royal defamation law.  Earlier this year, the Court ruled that the campaign was treasonous.