Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, Chris Quinn and his colleagues in England, Dame Rachel de Souza, Scotland, Nicola Killean, and Wales, Rocio Cifuentes have come together to intervene as the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill returns to Parliament in Westminster today.
Every child across the United Kingdom must have the same protection from assault as adults, say the United Kingdom’s four Children’s Commissioners.
Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, Chris Quinn and his colleagues in England, Dame Rachel de Souza, Scotland, Nicola Killean, and Wales, Rocio Cifuentes have come together to intervene as the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill returns to Parliament in Westminster today.
Commissioner Dame Rachel is calling for an amendment to be introduced to the Bill as it progresses through the House of Lords to remove the defence of ‘reasonable punishment’ that exists in English law and in the Children Act 2004.
Children in Scotland and Wales are already protected by law. Still, children in England and Northern Ireland are the only people in the United Kingdom not fully protected in law from assault.
The Commissioners believe this position cannot be reconciled with a society that values childhood as precious and worthy of protection, and one which has ratified the UNCRC, which sets out that all physical punishment violates children’s rights to protection from violence.
NI Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY), Chris Quinn, has recently demanded an
immediate end to the physical punishment of children in the NI Justice Bill. He welcomes the joint support of his UK counterparts to stand for equal protection. Commenting on the joint statement, Chris said:
“As Children’s Commissioners, we solidly believe that the current law that permits child physical punishment is severely out of touch with children’s rights and must be repealed.
“It is deeply concerning that despite repeated efforts, children in Northern Ireland and England still do not have the same protection from assault as adults.
“This legal inequality violates children and young people’s fundamental rights. The UNCRC declares that children should be protected from all forms of violence and have the same protection under the law as adults from all forms of assault. It also contradicts the UK’s commitment under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Article 19, which clearly states that children are to be protected from violence and abuse by anyone who looks after them.
“Violence of any kind, whether it is physical or psychological, should never be part of a child’s upbringing. I therefore fully support accessible services that help parents build positive approaches and urge the NI Executive to introduce resources and funds for a Family and Parenting Strategy.
“NICCY has seen how equal protection has been implemented in Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland, where children have legal protection from assault. We believe this is one of the most critical and transformative legal reforms the Northern Ireland Assembly can make to safeguard children’s rights.
“My Office and I insist that equal protection is included in the Justice Bill, which is currently at Justice Committee Stage in the Assembly, as a matter of urgency.
“Equal protection is necessary in Northern Ireland’s journey towards fully incorporating children’s rights into domestic law and ensuring that our legal system reflects the UNCRC, not just in words, but also through action.”
Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel, said: “There is no degree of violence that should ever be acceptable in a child’s life. We still see this happening far too often with horrific consequences.
“A child should never grow up living in fear, especially from the people who are supposed to love and care for them.
The four Commissioners believe that every child across the entire nation deserves the same protection from assault as adults.
The Government in Westminster has confirmed it will review the evidence from Scotland and Wales before making a decision on the law – but the Commissioners are calling for urgent action now. The Children and Wellbeing Bill provides an opportunity to ensure that they do.
The statement said: “As Children’s Commissioners we are united in our view that any defence in law that permits assault for the purpose of physical punishment of children is outdated and morally repugnant.”
The experience of Scotland and Wales, where children are already offered full protection from assault and violence, does not suggest any increase in parents and carers being criminalised – no loving, well-meaning parent has anything to fear from a defence to assault being removed from the law.
Chris added: “Evidence in these nations shows that introducing equal protection has not resulted in parents being unnecessarily criminalised. Instead, it demonstrates that children deserve to be treated with the same respect and protection as their parents or caregivers.
“To be clear, equal protection is not about punishing parents; it’s about protecting children and ensuring our laws are fair, consistent, and focused on the best interests of children. The time for change is now.”