Date: May 2008

UN Committee against Torture recommends prohibition in the home

In its concluding observations to state parties following its 40^th session, the Committee Against Torture recommended explicit prohibition of corporal punishment in all settings, including the family home, to all states under examination which had not already achieved complete prohibition.

The Committee recommended that Australia, Algeria, Zambia, Macedonia, Indonesia and Costa Rica explicitly prohibit all corporal punishment of children.

Sweden and Iceland, which achieved prohibition in all settings in 1979 and 2003 respectively, were also examined by the Committee.

Costa Rica is already well on the way to meeting its obligations: legislation which would achieve prohibition has passed through the main parliamentary processes and only formalities remain before it becomes law.

The Committee’s recommendations relating to corporal punishment can be found in the individual state reports of the relevant countries.

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