Thammasat University Faculty of Law
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| Thammasat University Faculty of Law | |
|---|---|
| Name | Faculty of Law, Thammasat University |
| Native name | คณะนิติศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์ |
| Established | 1939 |
| Type | Public |
| City | Bangkok |
| Country | Thailand |
| Campus | Tha Phra Chan |
Thammasat University Faculty of Law
Thammasat University Faculty of Law is a premier law faculty in Thailand located on the Tha Phra Chan campus in Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok. Established in 1939, it has played a central role in Thai legal education, contributing to jurisprudence, constitutional development, and public service through connections with institutions such as the Constitutional Court of Thailand, the Supreme Court of Thailand, and the Office of the Attorney General of Thailand. The faculty's alumni network reaches into ministries, judicial bodies, diplomatic missions, and international organizations including the United Nations and the ASEAN secretariat.
History
The faculty was founded during the era of Plaek Phibunsongkhram and the post-1932 constitutional reforms influenced by jurists associated with Pridi Banomyong, whose efforts intersected with institutions such as the People's Party (Khana Ratsadon). Its early curriculum drew on comparative models from the Civil Code of France, the German Civil Code, and common law precedents from the United Kingdom. Throughout the mid-20th century the faculty engaged with legal debates during events like the 1932 Siamese Revolution (Ratchaburi) aftermath, the Cold War era regional politics, and the drafting of successive Thai constitutions including the Constitution of Thailand (1932), the Constitution of Thailand (1997), and the Constitution of Thailand (2017). Faculty members have participated in national commissions such as the National Reform Council (Thailand) and advisory roles for the Ministry of Justice (Thailand), connecting scholarship to constitutional litigation before the Constitutional Court of Thailand and administrative disputes heard by the Administrative Court of Thailand.
Campus and Facilities
The faculty occupies heritage buildings near Tha Phra Chan adjacent to the Chao Phraya River and landmarks like Wat Mahathat and the Grand Palace (Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang). Facilities include moot courtrooms modeled after chambers used by the International Court of Justice, legal clinics collaborating with the Legal Aid Center of Thailand and offices for centers focusing on comparative law, human rights, and international trade law engaging with entities such as the World Trade Organization and the International Labour Organization. The library collection holds manuscripts and archives related to Thai statutes, records from the Royal Gazette (Thailand), law reports from the Supreme Court of Thailand, and foreign treatises reflecting jurisprudence from the United States Supreme Court, the European Court of Human Rights, and the International Criminal Court.
Academic Programs
Programs span undergraduate LL.B. degrees, graduate LL.M. and Ph.D. programs, and continuing legal education linking to professional examinations for the Lawyers Council of Thailand. Specialized tracks include comparative constitutional law drawing on cases from the Constitutional Court of South Korea, administrative law studies referencing precedents from the Council of State (France), international law courses incorporating materials from the Geneva Conventions and rulings by the International Court of Justice. Clinical programs offer placements with the Office of the Ombudsman (Thailand), the Human Rights Commission of Thailand, and NGOs modeled on organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Exchange agreements exist with universities including Harvard Law School, University of Cambridge, University of Tokyo, National University of Singapore, and Peking University.
Research and Publications
Research centers publish journals and working papers addressing constitutionalism, civil procedure, and transnational law, citing comparative frameworks from the European Union acquis, ASEAN Charter, and WTO jurisprudence. Faculty editors produce periodicals that analyze rulings from the Constitutional Court of Thailand, case law from the Supreme Court of Thailand, and doctrine influenced by scholars associated with the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law and the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT). Collaborative projects have secured grants for research on human rights instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and regional mechanisms like the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights.
Student Life and Organizations
Student organizations include moot court teams that compete in competitions like the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, the Vis Moot, and regional contests sponsored by the Asian Law Students' Association. Extracurricular clubs collaborate with alumni chapters involved with the Thai Bar Association and the Lawyers Council of Thailand and run community legal aid initiatives with partners such as the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (Thailand). Cultural and political societies stage forums referencing national events like the 14 October 1973 uprising and the 6 October 1976 massacre while student media engage debates on constitutional amendments, administrative reform, and international treaties including the Paris Agreement.
Notable Alumni and Faculty
The faculty's alumni and faculty have included prime ministers, members of the National Assembly of Thailand, justices of the Constitutional Court of Thailand, and diplomats accredited to missions such as the Embassy of Thailand in Washington, D.C.. Prominent figures range across politicians associated with the Palang Pracharath Party, legal scholars who contributed to the 1997 Constitution Drafting Committee, judges from the Supreme Court of Thailand, and activists linked to the Human Rights Foundation (Thailand). Internationally engaged graduates have served at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Asian Development Bank, and within academia at institutions like Chulalongkorn University and King's College London.