The Constitutional Court yesterday rejected a petition by Rukchanok Srinork, a Bangkok MP of the main opposition Move Forward Party, seeking a decision on whether Section 14 of the Computer Crime Act is against the constitution.
The court received the petition via the Criminal Court which was hearing a case against Ms Rukchanok.
She is on trial in the court for allegedly violating the 2007 Computer Crime Act and lese majeste law, offences which stemmed from a tweet she posted in July 2020 criticising the then Prayut Chan-o-cha government over what she believed was a monopoly of Covid-19 vaccine stock. She was also accused of making a statement venting displeasure at the monarchy.
The MP, who was at the time a member of "Clubhouse for Democracy," challenged the legality of the Computer Crime Act's Section 14.
Section 14 prohibits importing distorted or fraudulent information which is defamatory in nature, false information detrimental to national and economic security and public safety, and pornographic content which is made publicly available, into a computer system. Violations are punishable by up to five years, a fine of up to 100,000 baht or both.
Ms Rukchanok sought a legal interpretation of the section and the Criminal Court subsequently forwarded her request to the Constitutional Court.
