Socio-Legal Functions of the Advocacy of Kingdom of Thailand: Institutional Foundations and Mechanism for Implementing Free Legal Aid

This article analyzes the socio-legal functions of advocacy in Kingdom of Thailand (hereinafter referred to as Thailand) within the context of the public-law nature of the institution. The study examines the institutional and organizational model for implementing these functions through the prism of a dual system of self-regulation, uniting the Lawyers Council of Thailand and the Thai Bar Association. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of constitutional guarantees of the right to free legal aid (Article 68 of the 2017 Constitution of Thailand), the legal framework, and the mechanism for implementing it through the system of volunteer lawyers. It is revealed that the Thai model is characterized by a combination of formal legal mechanisms and cultural and religious traditions (the principle of tham bun), as well as extensive corporate and interagency cooperation in the provision of free legal aid with the Office of the Attorney General of Thailand, academic institutions, and the Consumer Protection Authority of the Government of Thailand. This, taken together, ensures more effective implementation of the socio-legal functions of the bar.