The Administrative Court's judicial commission has dismissed Supreme Administrative Court president Hassawut Withitwiriyakul from the judiciary for involvement in a police promotion scandal.
The commission made the decision at a meeting on Wednesday to consider a report from a panel which investigated an allegation against Mr Hassawut.
The panel was set up by the Administrative Court's judicial commission and Mr Hassawut was suspended from duty in late March pending the outcome of the investigation.
Mr Hassawut was alleged to have assigned Direkrit Jenkrongtham, secretary-general of the Office of the Administrative Court, to send two letters - one to the national police chief and the other to a deputy national police chief - to show his support for the promotion of Pol Lt Col Chutharet Yingyongdamrongkul, deputy superintendent for crime suppression at Hua Mark police station, to be promoted to police superintendent.
The panel said in its report that although it was not clear that Mr Hassawut had assigned Mr Direkrit to send the two letters, there was sufficient evidence indicating Mr Hassawut had acknowledged and supported Mr Direkrit's action in sending them.
"This can be construed as a breach of discipline and misconduct on the part of Mr Hassawut, in violation of an announcement of the Administrative Court's judicial commission regarding the discipline of Administrative Court judges," the panel said.