The quote referenced by fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra belonged to Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu, a French lawyer and political philosopher who lived from Jan 18, 1689 to Feb 10, 1755.
Citing Montesquieu, fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday wrote on Twitter for the first time in two years.
He is famous for the theory of separation of powers that allows checks and balances.
Chulalongkorn University political scientist Chaiyan Chaiyaporn said what Montesquieu wrote was correct, but Mr Chaiyan was unsure about Mr Thaksin's application of the quote.
What Montesquieu said meant using the law to violate another person is worse than hurting a person without the law. Unjustly claiming the law abuses other people would ruin justice institutions and lower public faith in the justice system, said Mr Chaiyan.
"Thaksin cannot link this quote to the Yingluck Shinawatra case as the court has not ruled yet," he said.
Thaksin has not been the only one to quote Montesquieu. In a media interview in 2015, former chief charter drafter Borwornsak Uwanno said, "The best political system is one that brings all the power groups in society into the political structure."
In January 2013, Oak Panthongtae Shinawatra, Mr Thaksin's son and nephew of then-prime minister Yingluck, quoted Voltaire, another French philosopher, on Facebook, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
He wanted Channel 3 to continue airing the TV drama Nua Mek 2 to its conclusion, but the show was pulled off the air prior to its finale. It featured a crooked politician who rose from a satellite business and was later shot dead.
