<p>Today (27 April), the ICJ and Lawyers&rsquo; Rights Watch Canada (LRWC) jointly submitted a legal brief (amicus curiae) to the Court of Appeal in criminal defamation proceeding against Thai journalist Suchanee Cloitre.</p>

<p>The ICJ today called on States in Southeast Asia to respect and protect human rights online and offline, in accordance with their obligations under international law, as they take steps to stop the spread of COVID-19. It urged States to ensure that avoiding adverse impacts on the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, opinion, information and privacy are front and center when implementing measures to counter misinformation about the virus.</p>

<p>As the Thai government moves to exercise its power under the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situation B.E. 2548 (2005) (&ldquo;<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/482b005f2.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1585206537455000&amp;usg=AFQjCNG_VFIFEdZeOfqxa6NegLia1_qjcg" href="https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/482b005f2.pdf" target="_blank" title="https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/482b005f2.pdf Ctrl+Click or tap to follow the link">Emergency Decree</a>&rdquo;) to combat the COVID-19 outbreak, the ICJ would like to&nbsp;reiterate&nbsp;its&nbsp;<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.icj.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Thailand-emergency-decree-report-2011-eng.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1585206537455000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEEBuJOQN0Iu4KCZ5JZ-BDJL6sFBQ" href="https://www.icj.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Thailand-emergency-decree-report-2011-eng.pdf" target="_blank">recommendations made since 2005</a>&nbsp;regarding lawful and proportionate exercise of this power in a manner consistent with Thailand&#39;s obligations under international law.</p>

<p>Today, the ICJ submitted recommendations on strengthening Thailand&rsquo;s Anti-Strategic Litigation against Public Participation (SLAPP) law to the Ministry of Justice, which is tasked to conduct a &ldquo;study on the guidelines for development of laws, regulations or measures to prevent SLAPP,&rdquo; in accordance with Thailand&rsquo;s First National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (2019 &ndash; 2022) (NAP).</p>

<p>The ICJ today expressed regret at the death of Judge Khanakorn Pianchana, who committed suicide on 7 March 2020. Judge Khanakorn was widely known after&nbsp;an attempted suicide in October 2019&nbsp;following the delivery of a verdict which he claimed was interfered by a senior judge.</p>

<p>On 20 December 2019, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) submitted <a href="https://www.icj.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Thailand-Torture-ED-Bill-Recommendations-2019-ENG.pdf">recommendations</a> to the Ministry of Justice on the Draft Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearances Act, scheduled for public consultation between 4 and 31 December 2019.</p>

<p>On Wednesday (27 November), the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)&nbsp;issued a statement condemning&nbsp;Thammakaset Co., Ltd&rsquo;s use of the criminal defamation provisions of the Thai Criminal Code to harass former National Human Rights Commissioner Angkhana Neelapaijit.</p>

<p>12 November 2019 - The ICJ condemned the use of civil proceedings to harass Nakorn Chompuchart and Sira Osottham, lawyers representing labour rights researcher Andy Hall.</p>

<p>The apparent suicide attempt of a judge in southern Thailand highlights the need for urgent reform of the judiciary to improve its independence from political interference, the&nbsp;International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)&nbsp;said today.</p>

<p>Since the announcement that bones&nbsp;bones found in Kaeng Krachan Dam have been confirmed to be those of Karen environmental activist and community rights defender Porlajee &ldquo;Billy&rdquo; Rakchongcharoen, who went missing in 2014. Several human rights organizations have since called for the Thai authorities to conduct an investigation into his abduction and murder.</p>