Charter Court to rule on government’s emergency loan decree on July 9

The Constitutional Court is set to rule on July 9 on a petition filed by the opposition bloc challenging the constitutionality of an emergency decree, which authorises the Finance Ministry to borrow money to address the energy crisis and support the country's renewable energy transition.

The court announced the date after concluding that the case involves questions of law and that sufficient evidence is available to enable a ruling.

On May 11, the petition was submitted by 133 MPs from opposition parties, exceeding the one-fifth threshold required by the Constitution.

The petitioners argue that the emergency decree did not meet the constitutional conditions set out under Article 172 governing the issuance of emergency decrees.

The petition was forwarded by the House Speaker to the Constitutional Court for a ruling.

Earlier, the Cabinet of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul was ordered to submit a written clarification on the issue within seven days of receiving the notice.

Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, leader of the People's Party, said the opposition had invoked Article 173 of the Constitution in seeking the court's ruling on 200 billion of the government's planned 400 billion of additional borrowing.

The opposition argues that the planned energy transition programme, for which that 200 million is earmarked, is unrelated to economic security and cannot be regarded as "urgently necessary".

It also contends that the government improperly included the project in the same borrowing package intended to help people cope with the immediate impacts of the energy crisis.