Barney McNeany, the province's interim children's commissioner, has beengranted a judicial review on the Government's decision not to ban thephysical punishment of children.
The law, introduced this month, brings Northern Ireland into line withEngland and Wales, where parents are allowed to "reasonably chastise"children.
A date will be set for the full hearing at the end of November, though aspokesman from the commissioner's office said it was expected to takeplace around the end of January 2007.
McNeany said children needed better protection than the lawprovided.
"We will be presenting our arguments forcefully that the Government waswrong to introduce legislation that potentially could still allowchildren to be hit," he said.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
