Committee on the Rights of the Child recommends prohibition and elimination of corporal punishment in all settings

At its 68th session in January 2015, the Committee on the Rights of the Child raised the issue of corporal punishment of children with the Governments of all the states being examined and made the following comments and recommendations in its concluding observations: To Colombia, the Committee recommended repeal of the “right of correction” in the Civil […]

African Committee recommends prohibition of corporal punishment in all settings

Following its 24th session in December 2014, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child recommended to states that corporal punishment be prohibited in all settings. To Guinea, the Committee recommended that: “the State Party bans corporal punishment in all settings; undertake measures to effectively punish the authors of violence against […]

New report on corporal punishment and juvenile justice

Antigua and Barbuda Corporal Punishment Act 1949, Bangladesh Whipping Act 1909, Barbados Corporal Punishment Act 1899, Botswana Children’s Act 2009, Brunei Darussalam Sharia Penal Code 2013, Dominica Corporal Punishment Act 1987, Singapore Criminal Procedure Code 2010, Tuvalu Island Courts Act 1965, Tanzania Corporal Punishment Ordinance 1930 … These are just a few of the laws […]

Updated briefing highlights corporal punishment of children with disabilities

The Global Initiative has updated its briefing on prohibiting and eliminating corporal punishment of children with disabilities. Highlighting the importance of the issue for children with disabilities, the briefing emphasises that children with disabilities are at increased risk of experiencing corporal punishment and underlines the human rights imperative to prohibit all violent punishment of children. […]

Another Latin American state protects children from all corporal punishment

Nicaragua has become the eighth state in Latin America to achieve law reform to fully prohibit children from corporal punishment in the home and all other settings. Following quickly on from reform in Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia this year, the Nicaraguan National Assembly approved the new Family Code 2014, which states in article 280 (unofficial […]

Global Report 2014 now available

Remarkable progress has been made in the past year towards universal prohibition of all corporal punishment: now 44 states have achieved this fundamental reform, and governments in a further 45 have expressed their commitment to doing so. Celebration of this accelerating progress is a fitting way to mark the 25th anniversary of the Convention on […]

Global Initiative e-newsletter issue 29

The number of states in which children are protected from all corporal punishment has risen to 44 since the last Global Initiative newsletter in September 2014. The Global Initiative’s latest newsletter reports on these developments and more, including a call for prohibition from the European Parliament; progress towards prohibition in France, Haiti, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan […]

San Marino achieves prohibition

San Marino has become the latest state to achieve prohibition of all corporal punishment of children in 2014. In September, criminal and family laws were amended to prohibit corporal punishment in all settings, including the home. The Law of 26 April 1986 No. 49 on Family Law Reform now states in article 57: “Children have […]

“Global progress and delay” leaflet – November edition

The Global Initiative has updated its leaflet which summarises and illustrates progress and delay worldwide towards prohibiting corporal punishment in all settings. The latest edition, published in November 2014, lists 41 states which have achieved prohibition in all settings. Shortly after the leaflet was published San Marino achieved prohibition, bringing the total number of states […]