 Under Chulalongkorn's regulations, he had the academic status of a full professor.This position inflamed activists and the judiciary, and prompted the parliament president on 21 January to invoke his authority under Article 266 of the 1997 Constitution to order the Constitutional Tribunal to consider the issue.On 8 February, in a four to three vote, the tribunal ruled that Ukrit's special professorship did "not" qualify him for a seat on the Constitutional Court.