Chaturon Chaisaeng, a former acting leader of the dissolved Thai Rak Thai Party, on Sunday strongly condemned the Constitution Court for delaying the deliberation of the charter amendment bill in the third reading, saying the court itself has violated the constitution.

The court on Friday voted 7 to 1 to accept complaints from the opposition Democrat Party and four individuals regarding the constitutionality of the draft charter amendment.

It also ordered parliament to suspend its deliberation of the bill pending a review.

Initially, parliament was scheduled to convene a session on June 5 to vote on the bill in the third reading.

Mr Chaturon said the court's decision to accept the complaints and its order to delay the joint sitting of parliament were in violation of Section 68 of the constitution which stipulates that a person or a political party can ask the attorney-general to investigate actions which might seek to abolish the constitutional monarchy and submit a motion to the Constitution Court.

He said the Constitution Court's use of power outside its jurisdiction was tantamount to pushing the country toward a new crisis of which the consequences would be much more serious than the past ones.

"I would like to suggest that parliament disobey the Constitution Court's order, which is illegitimate, and go ahead and hold a joint sitting to vote on the bill in the third reading.

"MPs who proposed the bill and organisations ordered by the court to submit their defence statements should also defy that order. I also agree with the people who will launch a signature campaign to seek the impeachment of the Constitution Court judges who themselves are in breach of the charter," Mr Chaturon said.

He branded the Constitution Court's action as a coup by the judiciary.