Statute/ statue

The noun statute means a written law passed by a legislative body. The word derives from a Latin term meaning to enact, establish, or set up. Statutes are also known as acts. Among well-known statutes in Thailand are the Foreign Business Act in Thailand and the Thailand Condominium Act. The noun statue refers to a carved figure or casting in bronze or other metail of a person or animal. Statues tend to refer to objects that are life-size or larger. The word statue originates from a Latin word meaning to stand, since many statues do show people standing. There are also statues of people and animals sitting down and in other positions. The words statue and statute are familiar to most people, but sometimes they are confused, as in this text written in Thai English:

Installations of king statutes in progress before official opening August 19

August 06, 2015

As the August 19 official opening of the Ratchaphakdi museum park in Hua Hin where the seven giant 30-ton each bronze statutes of the Thai kings from the Sukhothai to Rattanakosin periods are to be installed is imminent, the Royal Thai Army personnel and civilian craftsmen are working around the clock to install the statutes on the foundation bases. So far four bronze statutes of the kings were installed on bases at the park which is inside the Army Non Commissioned Officers School in Hua Hin.They are King Ramkhamhaeng, King Naresuan, King Narai, and King Taksin. Today King Rama V statute will be installed on the base. Yesterday the Army performed a rite to install the statue of fabled King Taksin on the foundation while the bronze statue of King Rama V from Bang Bon molding factory in Bangkok arrived at the site last night. The ceremony lasted 18 minutes.

Note that while this news report is about statues, the word statue is spelled wrong several times as statute, until the end of the article, when it is finally spelled correctly. This type of error is common when the writer is in a hurry and does not take time to reread carefully what has been typed. Since the words statue and statute are both common English words, a spell check will not catch this type of confusion. It is necessary to read the typed text again to be able to catch the problem. In journalism, writing is often rushed, and so this kind of error is understandable. In academic research and theses, students and ajarns are expected to take the time required to be careful. So mixing up the spellings of statue and statute would be less excusable. The challenge is to keep in mind which word is spelled with two letter t’s and which word is spelled with three letter t’s. One way to remember might be to think fo words that are associated with statue and statute. The more words we know that are spelled similarly, the more likely it is that we will spell all of them correctly. So, from the word statue, other words such as statuesque and statuette derive. Statuesque means like a statue in size or dignity. A statuette is a small statue, particularly one that is smaller than life-size. From statute, the word statutory derives. Statutory means having to do with statutes. Being sure how to spell statue makes us more likely to know how to spell statuesque and statuette. The same is true of statute and statutory.

Even students and ajarns who are not at the TU Faculty of Law will have heard the term statute of limitations, laws passed to set the maximum time after an event in which legal proceedings may begin. If the statute of limitations expires, no court case can begin. In Thailand, Section 98 of the Criminal Code discusses the statute of limitations:

Section 98. Statute of Limitations for Crimes

If any person, convicted by the final judgment, has not yet undergone the punishment, or has not completely undergone the punishment on account of having made an escape, and such person is not brought to undergo the punishment till the following periods of time reckoning from the day of the final judgment, or the day on which the offender has made the escape, as the case may be, the execution of punishment shall be precluded by prescription, and the punishment shall not be inflicted upon such person: […]

• After twenty years in case of a sentence to death, to imprisonment for life or to imprisonment of twenty years;
• After fifteen years in case of a sentence to imprisonment of over seven years but not up to twenty years;
• After ten years in case of a sentence to imprisonment of over one year up to seven years;
• After five years in case of a sentence to imprisonment of one year downwards or any other punishment.

Some further examples of usage:

• Phuket’s Wat Phra Nang Sang will soon repair its 35-metre-tall statue of the revered Luang Por Cham, which has been found to be disproportionate, temple abbot Phra Khru Wichit Supakarn said.

• Thais protested Tuesday against the use of a Buddha statue in an art installation in southern Germany, saying the exhibition was disrespectful. The statue, displayed in a market square in Munich, is of a large gold-coloured sitting Buddha tipped onto its back, and has reportedly been climbed on and photographed in inappropriate ways. Despite protests by Thai Buddhists, Munich’s Municipal Department of Arts and Culture reportedly insisted it would keep the statue on display until the end of September, one of several art pieces installed by the city its public places.

• A morning fire damaged a Buddha statue of the Ayutthaya period in a temple in Ayutthaya’s Mueang district on Friday.

• A drunk man was spotted sitting on the “lap” of King Rama I’s statute at Memorial Bridge in Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district early Monday morning.

• As Tambon Nai Muang mayor Kampol Yoocharoenkit led officials to inspect the damage, they pitched in to help local residents temporarily move the statue of Phraya Pichai of the shattered sword from the temple’s entrance to a safer spot inside the building.

• Phnom Penh: Archaeologists have unearthed a large, centuries-old statue that is believed to have once stood guard over an ancient hospital at Cambodia’s famed Angkor temple complex.

• Ogilvy and Mather Advertising Thailand swept up 10 awards at the advertising-industry’s prestigious London International Award (LIA) 2017. And the creative agency won the first-ever Regional Network of the Year for Asia award. Thailand made history at the 23rd LIAs as the country won a record total of 21 statues, including nine golds, seven silvers and five bronzes plus placed three times as finalists. Out of these, Ogilvy & Mather Advertising Thailand claimed 10, including four golds, four silvers and two bronzes as well as one finalist. Most of the awards were for creative work designed for the “Lego: Build a Future” campaign to inspire children to follow and achieve their dreams.

• Around 9PM on Thursday, Bangkok’s Royal Plaza was filled with dozens of people who came to worship at the equestrian statue of King Chulalongkorn with yellow garlands of marigolds and bunches of pinkish roses.

• The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) needed to expedite the probe as the statute of limitations for certain cases were likely to expire soon, NACC member Preecha Lertkamolmart said yesterday.

• The Trade Competition Act Committee has finally decided to seek legal action against AP Honda Co for alleged unfair sales practices before the statute of limitations on the marathon case expires in April.

• The statute of limitations for credit-card debt _ a time limit within which the bank must sue the debtor _ is two years from the date following the debtor’s default on payment. Failure by the bank to sue past the expiration date will end its right to enforce the debt and free the debtor from the debt burden.

• The International Court of Justice established by the Charter of the United Nations as the principal judicial organ of the United Nations shall be constituted and shall function in accordance with the provisions of the present Statute.
• State Statutory Codes. Like federal statutes, state statutes may be published in both an official code and an unofficial code, and The Bluebook requires you to cite to the official code, if possible (Rule 12.2.1).

• Statute revisions: Every 15 to 30 years, a revision of the federal statutes takes place. The last revision occurred in 1985. The purpose of a revision is to consolidate all amendments to the statutes since the last revision, and to improve the statutes by making non-substantive changes in wording, style and organisation. The mandate of the revision committee, and the effect of the revision, is set out in the Legislation Revision and Consolidation Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. S-20.

• Citing a statute: The citation for a statute varies depending on whether you are citing to a revision, or to a sessional volume. If you are citing to section 6 of chapter S-20 of the 1985 revision, the citation is: Statute Revision Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. S-20, s. 6.

(All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)