The Equality and Human Rights Commission today welcomed the Scottish Government’s commitment to outlaw the physical punishment of children in Scotland.
John Wilkes, the Commission's Scotland Director, said:
We are delighted that the Scottish Government has committed to introduce this reform now, rather than wait for John Finnie MSP’s Bill to be debated in Parliament. Scotland is now on a path to become the 53rd country worldwide to do so.
The UK is unusual in Europe for still permitting the physical punishment of children. We believe that children in Scotland should be afforded more protection from violence than adults, not less, and that the 'justifiable assault' defence is outdated and out of step with modern parenting. We fully support legal reform to ban the physical punishment of children in the family and in other settings.
We congratulate John Finnie MSP for bringing this Bill forward.
