The Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill has been introduced by Green MSP John Finnie and has the backing of the Scottish Government and MSPs from all political parties.
Currently in Scottish law parents are allowed to use physical punishment on their children under the defence of "justifiable assault". But Finnie's bill would remove that defence.
The bill also has the backing of among others Barnardo's Scotland, the NSPCC and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH). Proposed legislation to ban smacking also received the support of three quarters of the 650 organistions and people who responded to a consultation on the issue.
A poll conducted last year found that most Scottish adults think parents should be allowed to hit their children. Eight out of 10 Scots who participated in the survey said they had been smacked and most believe their parents were right to hit them. When asked if parents should be allowed to smack their children, 17 per cent of participants said "yes", while another 47 per cent said yes "in some circumstances".
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