The Welsh Government is bringing its Children Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment (Wales) Bill to the National Assembly.
If the Bill is passed by the Assembly, parents and other adults acting in a ‘parental capacity’ will no longer be able to physically punish children. It will give children the same protection from physical punishment as adults.
Under the Bill, the common law defence of reasonable punishment will be abolished so any adult acting in a parental capacity cannot use it as a defence if accused of assault or battery against a child.
Across the UK
The move by the Welsh Government follows in the footsteps of Scotland. Last year, Green MSP John Finnie proposed and lodged a Bill in the Scottish Parliament to remove the defence of ‘justifiable assault’, which allows parents to use reasonable physical punishment on a child.
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