Northern Ireland Humanists has joined 250 organisations and professionals calling on Stormont to support an amendment to the Justice Bill that would give children the same legal protection from physical assault as adults and remove the legal defence of ‘reasonable punishment’ for parents or carers.
The ‘smacking ban’ amendment, tabled by Alliance MLA Michelle Guy, would remove the existing defence and bring Northern Ireland into line with Scotland, Wales, Jersey, the Republic of Ireland, and around 70 countries worldwide, where children already have equal protection under assault laws.
New NSPCC-commissioned polling suggests that public opinion in Northern Ireland strongly favours reform. The poll shows that:
- 65% of adults support changing the law so children have the same protection from physical assault as adults, rising to 67% among parents, guardians, and carers of children under 18.
- Only 12% of adults, and just 8% of parents and carers, said smacking or hitting a child was acceptable.
Northern Ireland Humanists Coordinator Boyd Sleator commented:
‘Children deserve the same basic protection from violence as everyone else. The current law sends the wrong message by allowing adults to justify physical punishment in circumstances where the victim is a child.
‘This reform is about children’s rights, dignity, and wellbeing. It will bring Northern Ireland into line with other parts of these islands and with the overwhelming evidence that physical punishment harms children and does not support positive behaviour.
‘As a signatory to this open letter, Northern Ireland Humanists urges MLAs to support the amendment and ensure that children in Northern Ireland are finally given equal protection under the law.’
The amendment is expected to be considered by MLAs in the coming weeks.
Humanists supporting the ‘smacking ban’
Humanists have been long-standing campaigners for a ban on physical punishment against children. Wales Humanists supported the abolition of the ‘reasonable punishment’ defence in Wales in 2020. The Scottish Parliament passed similar measures in October 2019, with support from Humanist Society Scotland. A similar amendment calling to end ‘reasonable punishment’ in England was proposed during the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act’s passage through Parliament. This was supported by Humanists UK. It was rejected by the UK Government, which said that developments in Wales and Scotland would continue to be monitored.
Notes
For further comment or information, media should contact Northern Ireland Humanists Coordinator Boyd Sleator at boyd@humanists.uk or phone 07918 975795.
Read more about our work in Northern Ireland.
Read the Open Letter.
Read the coverage of the campaign.
Northern Ireland Humanists is part of Humanists UK, working with the Humanist Association of Ireland. Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 150,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.