Former Takeo Provincial Court president Pich Mareine (right) stands next to convicted murderer Sok Chanlida, who was released from prison before completing his sentence. FB
The Supreme Council of the Magistracy has punished the president of the Takeo Provincial Court for committing a legal violation. President Pich Mareine granted early release to a prisoner who was serving an eleven-year sentence for strangling his lover to death.
Details of the case were uncovered when Mareine publicly expressed her dissatisfaction with the disciplinary decision of the council’s Disciplinary Committee.
During a February 19 meeting, presided over by King Norodom Sihamoni, the committee decided to demote her to deputy president of another provincial court.
According to a February 20 press release from the supreme council, Mareine voiced her grievances on Facebook on February 19.
The release quoted her as writing: “I made a small mistake, yet I am punished severely without leniency, without sympathy, and without being given another chance, despite my efforts to improve.”
Her complaint appeared to be directed at the decision of the disciplinary committee.
The council clarified that Mareine had unlawfully released a prisoner who was convicted of murder and sentenced to 11 years in prison.
The release occurred after the prisoner had served only slightly over five years, with seven years and four months remaining. This means the prisoner had not yet met the two-thirds requirement for early release, which must be approved by the National Commission for Pardon.
Releasing serious criminal offenders before they meet legal conditions contradicts Article 513 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and the principles of conditional release set by the National Conditional Release Commission under the Ministry of Justice. The council deemed this a serious professional violation.
The council emphasised that only detainees held in pre-trial detention can be released by a judge. The early release of convicted prisoners serving a sentence can only be granted by the government, through a royal pardon request submitted to the King.
“The Disciplinary Council remains firm in enforcing strict discipline against judges and prosecutors who violate the law and their professional ethics. This must be done to uphold public confidence in the judiciary, which is crucial for ensuring public security, order and social safety — values deeply desired by the people and the nation,” added the press release.
According to multiple media reports, the criminal released was Sok Chanlida. He was sentenced to 11 years for murdering his lover, a beer promotion girl, at a guesthouse in Daun Keo town, Takeo province, in March 2019.
The prisoner was released, based on Pich Mareine’s decision, on April 9, 2024.
A legal expert told The Post that there are no legal procedures allowing for a convict to be re-arrested to complete their sentence once a judicial decision has already been executed, as in the case of Chanlida. Instead, responsibility falls on the judge who authorised the release — in this case, Pich Mareine.
Mareine recently received praise from justice minister Koeut Rith for expediting the resolution of court cases, reducing court backlogs and overcrowding in prisons.
