Principles for Developing the Thai Community Mediation System in the Future to Enhance the Efficiency of the Community Mediation Process within the Context of Thai Society

Abstract

The objective of this article is to review the appropriateness of legal provisions, measures, and operational guidelines of the “Community Justice Centers” in Thailand, which aim to divert offenders from the mainstream justice system. The research team conducted documents research by examining academic works both in Thailand and abroad, as well as field research,
to develop recommendations for reducing the number of cases entering the mainstream justice system “community justice system.” This system also considers preventing offenders or
ex-convicts from re-offending in their communities.

The overall findings suggest that Thailand should proceed with improvements and revisions to the community justice system, particularly concerning the types, models, and statuses of Community Justice Centers. These should be aligned with the social context of Thailand to effectively and concretely reduce the number of cases entering the mainstream justice system.

Furthermore, findings from the field research concluded that the current evaluation criteria for the operational capabilities of Community Justice Centers are not widely recognized among practitioners. Additionally, the varying issues faced in different areas hinder the use of these criteria as a common standard. Consequently, the evaluation criteria for Community Justice Centers in Thailand need to be revised to establish a "central standard" as an effective benchmark in the future.

Hence, the authors propose adopting the evaluation criteria of Community Justice Centers from Scotland, a country with clear and tangible evaluation standards. The study revealed that Scotland's community justice system emphasizes the development of teams from the public sector, civil society, and local agencies. Moreover, the evaluation criteria in this country are flexible and suitable for implementation in various areas with differing issues.

However, implementing these criteria in Thailand requires some adjustments to align with the Thai local context. This approach will help ensure that the evaluation of community justice centers in Thailand is effective and truly standardized.