Origin
The Professor Sanya Dharmasakti Fund is a fund established to honor and commemorate the virtues of Professor Sanya Dharmasakti, a forefather of lawyers and legal scholars. He served his nation and society in many ways, holding positions of President of the Privy Council, Prime Minister, President of the Supreme Court, Vice-President of the Constitution Drafting Commission, Rector of Thammasat University, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Thammasat University, President of the World Buddhist Association, etc. Later, he honourably resigned from the position of President of the Privy Council for reasons of ill health, but continued to hold the position of Privy Councillor. He performed his duties with duties with diligence, perseverance, honesty, integrity and virtuous courage, evident for all to see. Moreover, he devoted himself to the study of law, promoting the process of justice and the legal profession. His work is presented and accepted widely both in the country and abroad.
In order to pass on the mission and contributions of Professor Sanya Dharmasakti to the next generation, the board of directors of the Professor Sanya Dharmasakti Fund hold activities which are of benefit to the public and society, in accordance with the mission and objectives of the fund as follows:
1. Allocate funds to support education and research at the faculty of law and to promote the legal profession.
2. Promote and fund the publishing of legal textbooks and the dissemination of academic law.
3. Promote the development of the law library and establish a centre for legal information.
4. Establish prizes for students and those conducting academic research in law.
5. Fund education and other activities as the board considers appropriate or sees fit.
Regulations of the Thammasat University Law Foundation on the Professor Sanya Dharmasakti Fund 1996
Whereas Professor Sanya Dharmasakti has carried out activities serving the country in important positions with diligence, perseverance, honesty and virtuous integrity, evident for all to see, and has devoted himself to the flourishing of legal education, the promotion of the process of justice and the academic study of law, and the fruits of his work are widely recognised both within the nation and internationally, so that he is counted as an important jurist for the nation. In order to honour and commemorate his good works which have always been of benefit to the nation, his followers, fellow citizens, associations, organisations and various foundations who follow in his footsteps have come together to establish this foundation, by virtue of Article 17 of the Regulations of the Thammasat University Law Foundation 1983, and adopt the following regulations:
Article 1. These Regulations will be called “Regulations of the Thammasat University Law Foundation on the Professor Sanya Dharmasakti Fund 1996”
Article 2. These Regulations will come into force on the date on which they are announced.
Article 3. The Regulations of the Thammasat University Law Foundation on the Professor Sanya Dharmasakti and Professor Jitti Tingsaphat Fund 1989 are hereby repealed.
Chapter 1
Objectives Article 4. The objectives of the fund are as follows:
- 4.1 Allocate funds for the flourishing of education and legal research and promote the legal profession.
- 4.2 Promote and fund the publication of legal textbooks and the dissemination of jurisprudence.
- 4.3 Promote the development of the law library and establish a legal education centre.
- 4.4 Give prizes to students or those providing education or research in the field of law.
- 4.5 Fund education and other activities as the board of directors sees fit.
Chapter 2
Capital, Assets and Acquisition of Assets
Article 5. This fund is established as a fund accepting general donations and the interest from the fund assets for distribution in accordance with the objectives under Article 4.
Article 6. The initial capital assets of the fund are comprised of 700,000 baht (seven hundred thousand baht only) in cash.
Article 7. The fund may acquire assets in the following ways:
- 7.1 money or assets that is bequeathed by will or other juristic act to the fund free from debts or encumbrances.
- 7.2 money or assets dedicated by followers,
- 7.3 interest from assets of the fund.
- 7.4 royalties and income from publishing textbooks and other documents.
- 7.5 other income.
Chapter 3
Conduct of work
Article 8. There will be a single board of directors of the fund called “the board of directors of the Sanya Dharmasakti Fund,” together with a representative of the TU Law Foundation as the chairman of the fund, a representative of the Faculty of Law, TU, and a representative of the Law Society as directors of the fund, and not less than three other persons holding the position of director, and the chairman shall appoint the manager of the fund. Regarding directorships of the fund, if the Foundation does not make an announcement of an appointment for the board of directors, the fund shall consider and appoint an appropriate person. In this regard, the directors of the fund will hold office for a term of two years, but may be reappointed.
Article 9. At least 10% of the interest of the fund shall be allocated to the fund each year until the capital of the fund reaches at least 5,000,000 baht (five million baht only).
Article 10. Money distributed in accordance with the objectives under Article 4 will only be paid from the income from the fund’s assets. However, this is subject to conditions or objectives which followers who contribute money or assets to the fund may specify.
Article 11. The board of directors shall consider the allocation of funds and shall consider granting subsidies and selecting persons who deserve to receive grants as appropriate.
Article 12. The capital of the fund will be deposited in a bank or stable financial institution and with a bank guarantee or savings cooperative in accordance with what the board of directors deems appropriate and the regulations of the Thammasat University Law Foundation on finance and accounting shall apply mutatis mutandis.
Chapter 4
Miscellaneous
Article 13. Amendments to the Regulations or the addition of specific regulations may be made by the recommendation of the board of directors under Article 8 to the chairman of the Foundation.
Article 14. The chairman of the fund will be responsible for the observance of these Regulations.
ประกาศ ณ วันที่ ๕ เมษายน ๒๕๓๙
ประภาศน์ อวยชัย (ศาสตราจารย์ประภาศน์ อวยชัย)
ประธานมูลนิธิ
(ระเบียบนี้ออกตามมติที่ประชุมคณะกรรมการมูลนิธินิติศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์ครั้งที่ ๑/๒๕๓๙ เมื่อวันที่ ๑๓ มีนาคม ๒๕๓๙)
Criteria for selection of outstanding students for the Sanya Dharmasakti Prize
1. Principles and Reasons
Professor Sanya Dharmasakti was a forefather of lawyers and legal scholars. He served his nation and society in many ways, holding positions of President of the Privy Council, Prime Minister, President of the Supreme Court, Vice-President of the Constitution Drafting Commission, Rector of Thammasat University, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Thammasat University, President of the World Buddhist Association, etc. Later, he honourably resigned from the position of President of the Privy Council for reasons of ill health, but continued to hold the position of Privy Councillor. He performed his duties with diligence, perseverance, honesty, integrity and virtuous courage, evident for all to see. Moreover, he devoted himself to the study of law, promoting the process of justice and the legal profession. His work is presented and accepted widely both in the country and abroad.
The Sanya Dharmasakti Fund is a fund established to honour and commemorate the virtues of Professor Sanya Dharmasakti, and the board of directors of the Professor Sanya Dharmasakti Fund are of the view that, in order to pass on the mission and good works of Professor Sanya Dharmasakti to the next generation, it is fitting to select outstanding law students who have good knowledge of law and who are of good morals, have integrity and who devote themselves to the wellbeing of society to receive the Sanya Dharmasakti Prize.
Originally, the Sanya Dharmasakti Fund only considered law students who had graduated from Thammasat University for the prize. However, after doing so for some time, the Fund considers that the prize should also be open for students from other institutions. Therefore, consideration began to expand to other public educational institutions that have educated and produced graduates in the field of law to be of service to society for at least 30 years. This is the first step of a broader expansion, including Thammasat University, Chulalongkorn University, Ramkhamhaeng University and Sukhothai Thammathirat University. In considering the award of the prize for outstanding law students in this academic year, the fund is even considering expanding to private educational institutions which have run courses teaching law for at least 30 years. In this academic year, there are 9 institutions which meet the criteria for the prize for outstanding law students: Thammasat University, Chulalongkorn University, Ramkhamhaeng University, Sukhothai Thammathirat University, Bangkok University, Kasem Bundit University, Dhurakij Pundit University, Vongchavalitkul University, and Sripatum University.
2. Objectives
- 2.1 To identify and select outstanding law students who graduated in the academic year 2018 (or, in the case of Sukhothai Thammathirat University, students who graduated in the academic year 2017, since graduation is calculated differently to other universities) from universities that have offered law courses for more than 30 years, both public and private, to be good role models for the next generation of law students.
- 2.2 To disseminate and commemorate the virtues of Professor Sanya Dharmasakti.
- ๒.๓ เพื่อเป็นรางวัลให้กับนักศึกษากฎหมายที่ตั้งใจศึกษาเล่าเรียน ทำความดี มีคุณธรรมและช่วยเหลือสังคม อันจะเป็นเกียรติยศแก่ตนเองและครอบครัวของตนเอง สถาบันและสังคม
3. Criteria for considering who may be awarded the Sanya Dharmasakti Prize for Outsanding Law Students.
- 3.1 Having passed the all compulsory subjects on the undergraduate degree programs for which they are registered, being courses of the faculties of law in the following universities: Bangkok University, Kasem Bundit University, Chulalongkorn University, Thammasat University, Dhurakij Pundit University, Ramkhamhaeng University, Vongchavalitkul University, Sripatum University, and Sukhothai Thammathirat University, graduating with honours.
- 3.2 Continually doing activities that are of benefit to the public.
- 3.3 Being a person of good morals.
4. Identification and selection process
- 4.1 The criteria for identifying and selecting outstanding law students for the Sanya Dharmasakti Prize shall be publicised and generally available.
- 4.2 The faculties of law of the following universities – Bangkok University, Kasem Bundit University, Chulalongkorn University, Thammasat University, Dhurakij Pundit University, Ramkhamhaeng University, Vongchavalitkul University, Sripatum University, and Sukhothai Thammathirat University – shall conduct a process to identify one person in each university who possesses the qualities specified in Article 3, and will provide the student’s name together with information and supporting reasons to the Sanya Dharmasakti Prize Committee on or before 7 February 2020.
- 4.3 The Sanya Dharmasakti Prize Committee shall consider the students selected by each institution pursuant to Article 4.2 by holding interviews to select outstanding law students.
- 4.4 The Professor Sanya Dharmasakti Fund shall announce the selection of outstanding law students.
5. Decision
The selection and determination of outstanding law students for the Sanya Dharmasakti Prize is the responsibility of the board of directors of the Professor Sanya Dharmasakti Fund. Thus, the decision of the board of directors is considered final. If, in any year, it is appropriate to give the prize to more than one student, the prize may be given to all students who have been determined to be outstanding law students for the purposes or the Sanya Dharmasakti Prize. If, in any year, it does not appear that any students are appropriate to be awarded the prize, the award will be cancelled for that year.
6. Prize
- 50,000 baht in cash and a commemorative plaque for prizewinners.
- ๖.๒ นักศึกษาผู้ได้รับการเสนอชื่อจากมหาวิทยาลัย ตามข้อ ๔.๒ และผ่านการสัมภาษณ์จะได้รับใบเกียรติบัตร
7. Prize schedule
In the month of April each year.