Last week legislation was presented to Parliament to remove the defenceof reasonable chastisement in most cases except the lowest charge ofcommon assault. If passed it will become law in September.
Barney McNeany, Northern Ireland's acting commissioner for children andyoung people, said: "While this order offers some limited form ofprotection for children, we are disappointed the Government has notcompletely removed the defence of reasonable chastisement."
However, Northern Ireland minister David Hanson MP said: "This order isa vital step forward and will ensure compliance with the EuropeanConvention on Human Rights. I am confident the new law will offer addedprotection to children." McNeany said: "As one young person told us:'It's not fair - another adult wouldn't be able to hit an adult, but anadult's allowed to hit a child'."
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
