Thai court to consider legality of constitutional amendment process

BANGKOK – Thailand's Constitutional Court has agreed to examine whether an attempt to amend an article in the country's constitution is legal.

The judges, however, refused to issue an injunction suspending parliamentary debate on the proposed change, one of three amendments currently being considered.

Lawmakers from Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's party hope to amend the 2007 constitution, which was written under a military-appointed government after a coup ousted her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra.

The Constitutional Court voted Wednesday to consider a senator's petition against attempts to amend the charter.

Opposition Sen. Somchai Sawaengkarn also asked the court to dissolve the ruling party and other parties that support the amendment process.

The judges ruled last year that the charter could not be entirely rewritten, but left open the possibility of partial amendments.