<div>&nbsp;</div> <div>General Prayuth Chan-ocha, the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army, signed Announcement No. 1/2557 [2014] of the Royal Thai Army, on the matter of the promulgatเon of the Martial Law Act, on 20 May 2557 [2014]. Following examination, it is the view of the Khana Nitirat that the aforementioned announcement of the Royal Thai Army is unconstitutional and illegal. This is the case for the following reasons:</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>1. </div>

<div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The Thammasat University law scholars group Nitirat has called on the government to revoke martial law which was declared by the army early on Tuesday morning, saying that the law was declared arbitrarily without the approval of HM the King.&nbsp;</div> <div> </div></div>

<div>Thailand last week was stunned by the Constitutional Court’s <a href="http://prachatai.com/english/node/3954">ruling </a>to remove Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and some cabinet members from their caretaker positions. </div>

<div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Nitirat, or Enlightened Jurists, a group of law academics from Thammasat University, Bangkok, on Sunday condemned the Election Commission (EC) for intentionally delaying the by-elections for the MPs, and pointed out how parliamentarians or citizens can remove Election Commissioners from office.&nbsp;</div> <div> </div>

<p>On 12 February 2014, assailants fired repeated gunshots and threw homemade bombs at the home and car of Professor Somsak Jeamteerasakul, a history professor at Thammasat University and outspoken political and cultural critic. The attack took place during the day and Professor Somsak was at home when it occurred. Although he did not sustain any physical injuries, the damage to his car and house indicate that the violence was intended to be deadly.</p>

<div>About 150 Thai academics have on Tuesday denounced the proposal of the anti-government protesters to establish a “People’s Council” and royally-appointed caretaker government as legally impossible and undemocratic.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <p></p>

<div>The Rector of Thammasat University (TU) has been condemned by a group of TU lecturers who claim his order to close down the university for 3 days was unreasonable. The order was said to show support for the anti-government group who had called for a strike by the public sector to cripple the government.&nbsp;</div> <p></p>

<div>The Constitutional Court’s latest ruling was full of serious errors, pointed out the courageous “Nitirat” group of law academics after the Court judged last week that the attempt by the ruling Pheu Thai MPs to amend the coup-makers’ charter to change the senate from being partly elected and partly appointed to fully elected was unconstitutional. The group also urged the Parliament to defy the court's decision.</div> <div> </div>

<div>From the latest Supreme Court's ruling on&nbsp;lèse majesté case, historians, political scientists and law academics discussed the implication of the ruling on the study of Thai history.&nbsp;</div> <div> </div>

<p>Comments offered by law scholars Nitirat (the Enlightened Jurists) on the&nbsp;Draft Amnesty for Those Who Committed Offences as a Result of the Political Protests and Political Expression of the People B.E…..</p> <p></p>

<div>Nitirat, a group of law scholars from Thammasat University, warned on Thursday that the passing of the blanket amnesty bill would contradict the constitution and could results in lawsuits at the Constitutional Court against Members of Parliament.&nbsp;</div> <p></p>

<p>Academics from the Nitirat (Enlightened Jurists) group and well-known scholars are calling for whole scale reform of the courts, from legal texts to ideologies, to achieve a judicial system more in line with democracy. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p></p>