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Toward constitutional revolution?

The Constitutional Court's politicization of unamendability is a dangerous bet. So far, it successfully helped to prevent disruption to Thai-style democracy. But at what cost? The public is increasingly upset and has increasingly realized that the judiciary is not a trustworthy umpire.

A constitution that cannot be amended by peaceful means can be abolished by force. The Constitutional Court's loathing of democracy can be contrasted with its deferral to dictatorship. All this generates a sense of public hopelessness and anger. If the people could not invoke the sec­ondary power to amend the constitution, can they, as the Constitutional Court confirmed twice in 2012 and 2021, re-establish the unlimited primary constitu­ent power and write a new constitution?

The new primary power means destruction of the existing constituent power, a decisive break from Thai-style democracy. In practice, that could entail vio­lence, disruption, and drastic changes. The next constitution-making attempt may propel the country into a whirlwind.

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Source: Abeyratne Rehan. The Law and Politics of Unconstitutional Constitutional Amendments in Asia. Routledge,2021. — 311 p.. 2021
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