The Administrative Court has taken a major step ahead of Thailand’s other courts by launching an online system through which members of the public can lodge complaints or petitions, 24/7.

Supreme Administrative Court president, Mr. Piya Patangtha, who presided over the launch of the e-Court system on Thursday, hailed it as a major step on the way to upgrading the justice process in Thailand to meet international standards.

The online system will greatly facilitate public access to court services, and can negate the need for complainants to come to the court in person to file their complaints. It can now be done online, anytime and from anywhere, he said, adding that the complainants can also follow the development of their cases online.

In order to use the Administrative Court’s online services, each individual must register with the court first by use of an application form giving his/her ID card details and scanning the laser code on the card.  The system, which is linked with the census database of the Local Administration Department, will then verify the identity of the applicant.

Once the identity is confirmed, the applicant can log in and file a complaint online, said Mr. Boon-anan Wannapanich, a judge at the Supreme Administrative Court.

When a complaint or a petition is received, court officials will check the complaint and send it to a chief judge who, in turn, will pass it on to relevant judges who will decide whether the complaint has enough grounds to be accepted for consideration.

Mr. Boon-anan said that complainants can follow their cases online so they can estimate when their cases will concluded.  He warned, however, that anyone found abusing the system will have their accounts deleted and will be unable to use the system again.