New rule on royal pardon put in place

New rule on royal pardon put in place

Convicts must serve 1/3 of original term

A new rule will make it harder for prisoners to seek a reduction of their jail terms through royal pardons, according to the Corrections Department.

Convicts will now be required to serve at least one-third of their prison sentence as ordered by a court before they can ask to be considered for a royal pardon, spokesman Thawatchai Chaiwat said.

In the past, a convict would only be eligible for a royal pardon once at least a third of their prison sentence — after deducting jail term reductions on other grounds — remains.

The practice has enabled many convicted criminals serving lengthy jail sentences to secure early release through a royal pardon, after getting their sentences commuted or reduced on other grounds, such as overcrowding…