Global Table of Opportunities

StateOpportunities for enacting prohibitionProhibited
drafted
AfghanistanComprehensive Law on Children being drafted (2014); Civil Code and Juvenile Code under review (2014); draft Shiite Personal Status Law under discussion (2014); draft Family Protection Law under consideration (2013); draft Family Code being finalised (2018)?
AlgeriaCriminal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, and Code on the organisation of penal institutions under review (2017)[NO]
American SamoaNo known opportunitiesN/A
AngolaFamily Code being revised (2010); draft Code of Criminal Procedure under discussion (2009); legislation on the prison system being drafted?
AnguillaOECS draft bills under discussion (2012); Domestic Violence Bill under discussion (2011); Child Justice Bill, Status of Children Bill and Family Law (Guardianship, Custody and Access to Children Bill) under discussion (2016)NO
Antigua and BarbudaNo known opportunitiesN/A
ArmeniaNew Criminal Code being drafted (2015); draft Law on the Rights and Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities under discussion (2015)[NO]
AustraliaNo known opportunitiesN/A
AzerbaijanDraft Law on Protection of Children against All Forms of Corporal Punishment prepared (2011); Juvenile Justice Bill under discussion (2015); Bill on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities under discussion (2018)YES
BahamasConstitution under review (2013); family legislation under review and draft Gender Based Violence Bill under discussion (2018); Education Act under review (2018)[NO]
BahrainLaw on Civil Society, Law on Personal Status and amendments to Constitution under discussion (2014); Correctional Justice Bill (2018)[NO]
BangladeshLaw to prohibit corporal punishment in educational institutions and workplaces being drafted (2015); Draft Children Rules under the Children Act 2013, draft Child Education Act and amendments to Disabled Persons Protection and Rights Act 2013 under discussion (2015); new Family Code under discussion (2013)?
BarbadosPenal System Reform (Amendment) Bill, amendments to the Offences Against the Person Act under discussion (2016); Education Act and Regulations possibly being reviewed (2015); Juvenile Justice Bill being drafted (2016); Children's Act under discussion (2017)[SOME]
BelarusDraft domestic violence law under discussion (2015)?
BelgiumBill amending the Civil Code under discussion (2016)YES
BelizeNo known opportunitiesN/A
BermudaEducation Act and Rules under review (2014)?
BhutanNo known opportunitiesN/A
Bonaire, St Eustatius and SabaNo known opportunitiesN/A
Bosnia and HerzegovinaLaw on Social Protection and Law on Protection of Families with Children being drafted (2012); new domestic violence legislation being drafted in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2012); amendments to the Family Law, the Law on Social and Child Protection, the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence, the Criminal Code, the Law on Health Care, the Framework Law on Preschool and Primary Education and Upbringing and the Sports Law under discussion (2017); comprehensive Law on Children's Rights being considered (2017)YES
BotswanaAdoption Act under review (2016); Prisons Act and Education Act under review (2018)[SOME]
British Virgin IslandsStatus of Children Bill and Maintenance of and Access to Children Bill under discussion (2013); new Prison Law and Prison Rules being drafted (2012); OECS draft bills possibly under considerationNO
Brunei DarussalamNo known opportunitiesN/A
Burkina FasoCode of Criminal Procedure and Code on the Person and the Family under review (2012); draft Child Protection Code under discussion (2014); Constitution being reviewed (2017); regulations under the Law No. 010-2017 on the penitentiary regime being drafted (2017)YES
BurundiDraft Code on Child Protection under discussion (2014); Code on Children's Rights being drafted (2016); Code of Persons and of the Family being revised (2016)NO
CambodiaLaw on Child Protection being drafted (2014); Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and the Protection of Victims 2005 under review (2019)?
CameroonDraft Code of the Person and the Family under discussion (2014); Civil Code under review (2014)[NO]
CanadaN/A
Cayman IslandsNo known opportunitiesN/A
Central African RepublicDraft Family Code under discussion (2014); Criminal Code being revised (2013)[YES]
ChadDraft Child Protection Code under discussion (2014); draft Code on the Person and the Family under discussion (2014); Bill on violence against women under discussion (2010)[YES]
ChileBill Protecting the Rights of Children and Adolescents and Bill to amend Civil Code under discussion (2015); Constitutional reform under way (2015); Draft law creating a comprehensive statute against violence against children and adolescents under discussion (2019)[YES]
ChinaNew child protection laws being drafted (2014); legislation on preschool education being considered (2017)?
ComorosNo known opportunitiesN/A
Cook IslandsCrimes Act Amendment Bill under discussion (2015)?
Cote d'IvoireMinority Act under review (2019); draft new Child Code in discussions (2019); Personal and Family Code and Criminal Code being revised (2015); draft Criminal Code under discussion (2013); draft new Family Code under discussion (2011)?
Cuba?
Czech RepublicNo known opportunitiesN/A
DjiboutiCriminal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure under review (2018)?
DominicaJuvenile Justice Bill and draft domestic violence law under discussion (2014); Status of Children Bill, Children (Care and Adoption) Bill and Child Justice Bill being finalised (2019)[SOME]
Dominican RepublicCivil Code and Penal Code being revised (2014); prohibiting legislation being drafted (2015); Family Code being drafted (2015); Positive Parenting Bill under consideration (2019)YES
DPR KoreaNo known opportunitiesN/A
DR CongoNo known opportunitiesN/A
EcuadorBill on a Childhood and Teenagehood Free from Physical Punishments and Degrading Treatments under consideration (2017); Children and Adolescents Code 2003 under review (2020)YES
EgyptNo known opportunitiesN/A
El SalvadorPenal Code under review (2017)[NO]
Equatorial GuineaDraft Family Code and draft Law on Gender Violence under discussion (2014); law on children being drafted (2011); Criminal and Civil Codes under review (2015)?
EritreaNew Constitution being drafted (2015)NO
EswatiniEducation legislation being reviewed (2012); Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Bill under consideration (2015)?
EthiopiaNo known opportunitiesN/A
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)Drafting of new Criminal Code planned (2012)?
FijiDraft Disability Decree under discussion (2014); draft Child Justice Bill and Child Protection Bill under discussion (2018); amendment to Juvenile Act being drafted (2018)?
French PolynesiaNo known opportunitiesN/A
GabonFamily Code being drafted (2015); Bill on Domestic Violence under discussion (2017); Civil Code under review (2018)NO
GambiaDisability Bill under consideration (2015); Constitution being reviewed (2017)NO
GhanaConstitution under review (2015); amendments to the Children's Act and the Juvenile Justice Act under discussion (2016); draft Children’s (Amendment) Act 2019, draft Juvenile Justice (Amendment) Act 2019 and draft Criminal Offences (Amendment) Act 2019 being finalised (2019)SOME
GibraltarNo known opportunitiesN/A
GrenadaChild Protection Act and Education Act under review (2013)?
GuamNo known opportunitiesN/A
GuatemalaAmendments to the Law on Integral Protection of Children and Adolescents under discussion (2017); Child Protection System Bill under discussion (2021)NO
GuernseyNo known opportunitiesN/A
Guinea-BissauBill to prohibit corporal punishment being drafted (2013); drafting of a comprehensive Code on Protection of Children planned (2013); Prisons regulations being drafted (2019)[YES]
GuyanaEducation Bill and Regulations under discussion (2014)NO
HaitiFamily Code Bill, draft new Criminal Code, draft Children’s Code, Child Protection Bill and Bill on violence against women and girls under discussion (2016)YES
Hong KongNo known opportunitiesN/A
IndiaJammu and Kashmir Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill 2018 under discussion (2018)SOME
IndonesiaDraft Criminal Code under discussion (2013)NO
IranChildren and Adolescent Protection Bill, draft Bill on The Provision of Women's Security against Violence, draft Bills on Juvenile Justice and Child Protection and draft Charter of Citizens' Rights under discussion (2014)NO
IraqDraft new Personal Status Law under discussion (2014); law on children and law to prohibit corporal punishment possibly being drafted (2014); law for child protection within the family being drafted in Kurdistan (2015); draft Child Protection Act, draft Juveniles Act and draft law on domestic abuse under discussion (2015)?
Isle of ManNo known opportunitiesN/A
ItalyNo known opportunitiesN/A
JamaicaChild Care and Protection Act, Domestic Violence Act and Offences Against the Person Act under review (2015), amendments to the Education Act being drafted (2017)YES
JordanChildren's Rights Bill (2014)?
KazakhstanNo known opportunitiesN/A
KiribatiNo known opportunitiesN/A
KuwaitBill on Domestic Violence under discussion (2020)[NO]
KyrgystanNew Child Code and amendments to the Code of misdemeanours under discussion (2019)YES
Lao PDRNo known opportunitiesN/A
LebanonPenal Code and Law 422 on Juvenile Justice under review (2015); Child Protection Bill under discussion (2010)NO
LesothoDomestic Violence Bill under discussion (2015); Regulations and Court Rules under Children's Protection and Welfare Act 2011 being drafted (2015); Children’s Protection and Welfare Act Amendment Bill 2018 under discussion (2018)?
LiberiaDraft Domestic Violence Act and amendments to Constitution under discussion (2015)[NO]
LibyaDraft Juvenile Justice Law under discussion (2014); new Constitution being drafted (2015); laws allowing flogging under review (2015)?
MacauNo known opportunitiesN/A
MadagascarCriminal Code under review (2015)NO
MalawiChild Care, Protection and Justice (Amendment) Bill, Penal Code (Amendment) Bill and Adoption of Children Bill under discussion (2015); Prevention of Domestic Violence Act 2006 and Prisons Act under review (2015)?
MalaysiaBills which would allow implementation of Islamic (hudud) punishments at state level under discussion in Kota Baru and Kelantan (2014); draft Education Regulations (Pupil Discipline) 2018 possibly under discussion (2019)[SOME]
MaldivesEducation Bill under discussion (2015)[SOME]
MaliChild Protection Code and Criminal Code under review and Bill against Gender Based Violence under discussion (2018)[NO]
Marshall IslandsReview of child protection legislation being consulted upon (2017)?
MauritaniaLaw on violence against women being drafted (2015)[NO]
MauritiusJuvenile Justice Bill and Disability Bill under discussion (2015); draft Child Protection and Care Bill under discussion (2017); Child Protection Act under review (2017); Police and Criminal Justice Bill being prepared (2018); Children's Bill under discussion (2019)YES
MexicoBills under discussion to amend the federal Civil Code and the General Law on the Rights of Children and Adolescents 2014 (2019); Bills to prohibit under discussion in the states of Quintana Roo and Oaxaca (2018)YES
MicronesiaCriminal Code under review (2014); Pohnpei Family Violence Bill under discussion (2015); Family Protection Bills being drafted in Yap, Pohnpei and Chuuk (2016)?
MonacoNo known opportunitiesN/A
MontserratOECS draft bills under consideration (2007)?
MoroccoCode of Criminal Procedure and Criminal Code being revised (2017)?
MozambiquePenal Code to be reviewed (2016); Constitution under review (2015)NO
MyanmarAmendments to Constitution under discussion (2015); Bill on Violence against Women being drafted (2015)[NO]
NamibiaChild Justice Bill under discussion (2013); amendments to the Combating of Domestic Violence Act 2003 under discussion (2016)NO
NauruConstitution under review (2013)?
New CaledoniaNo known opportunitiesN/A
NigerDraft Children's Code under discussion (2014); Family Code being drafted (2011)YES
NigeriaViolence Against Persons Bill, Administration of Criminal Justice Bill, Prison Reform Bill and Domestic Violence Bill under discussion (2013); child rights laws under consideration in a number of states (2012); Children and Young Persons Law, Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and Shari'a Penal Code under review (2010); Elimination of Violence against Women in Society Bill under discussion (2012)?
NiueFamily Law Bill under discussion (2015)[YES]
Northern Mariana IslandsNo known opportunitiesN/A
OmanBill for Persons with Disabilities being drafted (2018)?
PakistanNational Commission of the Rights of the Child Bill under discussion (2017); Child Protection Bill being drafted (2018); Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill being finalised (2020); Punjab Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill and Balochistan Corporal Punishment Bill under discussion (2014); Khyber Pakhtunkhwa considering legislation to prohibit in schools (2018); Zina laws being reviewed (2011)[SOME]
PalauNo known opportunitiesN/A
PanamaDrafting of a law on the promotion and integral protection of the family under discussion (2011); Bill on establishing a system of guarantees and comprehensive protection for the rights of children and young persons being drafted (2017)?
Papua New GuineaRegulations under the Family Protection Act 2013 being drafted (2014); Education Act being revised (2015)?
PhilippinesConstitution under review (2018); Children's rights Magna Carta being drafted (2020)[NO]
Puerto RicoNo known opportunitiesN/A
QatarAmendments to Law on Persons with Special Needs under discussion (2015); Children's Bill under discussion (2016)?
Russian FederationLaw on Domestic Violence being drafted (2014)[NO]
RwandaNo known opportunitiesN/A
SamoaChild Care and Protection Bill, Infants Amendment Bill and Teachers Bill under discussion (2015)NO
Sao Tome and PrincipeFamily Law being revised (2013); Civil Code under review (2010); Early Education Bill being discussed (2016); Juvenile Justice Law and other child protection laws under review (2017)?
Saudi ArabiaDraft Alternative Penalties Act under discussion (2013); review of the Code of Criminal Procedure (2018)[NO]
SenegalJuvenile justice law under revision (2014); draft Children's Code under discussion (2013); Family Code under review (2013); legislation under consideration to regulate Koranic schools (2017)[YES]
SerbiaDraft Civil Code Law and amendments to Family Law under discussion (2015); draft Law on the Rights of the Child and Law on Juvenile Offenders and Protection of Juveniles in Criminal Proceedings being discussed (2017)[YES]
Sierra LeoneConstitution under review (2015); review of the Child Rights Act 2007 under discussion (2017)?
SingaporeChildren and Young Persons Act under review (2019), Criminal Law Reform Bill being considered (2019)[NO]
SlovakiaNew Civil Code being drafted (2015)[YES]
Solomon IslandsPolice Bill and draft Federal Constitution under discussion (2015); Education Bill under review (2016); Youth Justice Bill being drafted (2018)SOME
SomaliaProvisional Federal Constitution 2012 being reviewed (2017); Child Rights Bill, Juvenile Justice Bill and Education Bill being drafted (2019); Child Act under discussion in Somaliland (2016); Family Code being drafted for Somaliland (2011); Puntland juvenile justice law being drafted (2009)?
Sri LankaAmendments to Children and Young Persons Ordinance under discussion (2014); laws being drafted for inspection of childcare institutions and on early childhood care and development (2013); amendments to Orphanages Ordinance planned (2013); Children (Judicial Protection) Bill under discussion (2013); Child Protection and Justice Bill being finalised (2017); prohibition in schools being considered (2019)[SOME]
St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaNo known opportunitiesN/A
St Kitts and NevisNo known opportunitiesN/A
St LuciaJuvenile Justice Bill under discussion (2014); Constitutional reform under way (2015)NO
St Pierre et MiquelonNo known opportunitiesN/A
St Vincent and the GrenadinesChild Justice Bill under discussion (2016)[NO]
State of PalestineDraft Constitution, draft Social Affairs law and draft Penal Code under discussion (2009); draft family violence prevention law under discussion (2014); Personal Status Code being reviewed (2018)?
SudanRules under the Child Act 2010 being drafted (2012); state child bills under discussion in Blue Nile, North Darfur and Gezira (2010); Permanent Constitution and Criminal Code being drafted (2017)?
SurinameCivil Code being revised (2014); Framework Bill on Care Institutions and draft law on foster care under discussion (2014)NO
SwitzerlandBill to prohibit corporal punishment under discussion (2018)[YES]
Syrian Arab RepublicChild Rights Bill under discussion (2011); review of laws relating to juvenile justice planned (2011); review of Criminal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure (2016)?
TaiwanAmendments to Constitution under discussion (2015)NO
TajikistanCriminal Code under review (2017)?
ThailandChild Protection Act under review (2015)?
Timor-LesteDraft Child Code, draft Tutelary and Education Law for Minors aged 12-16 and draft Law on a Special Penal Regime for Minors aged 16-21 under discussion (2015); Draft Law on Punitive-Educational Measures for Minors (2016)[SOME]
TokelauNo known opportunitiesN/A
TongaAmendments to the Constitution, the Criminal Offences Act 1926, the Police Act 2010, and the Prison Act 2010 under discussion (2018)?
Trinidad and TobagoMiscellaneous Provisions (Supreme Court of Judicature and Children) Bill 2018 under discussion[SOME]
TurkeyNo known opportunitiesN/A
Turks and Caicos IslandsOECS draft bills possibly under discussion; review of Education Ordinance planned (2015)NO
TuvaluConstitution being reviewed (2018); Child Protection and Welfare Bill 2017 being consulted upon (2018)?
UgandaMarriage and Divorce Bill under discussion (2015)NO
UKOffences Against the Person Act 1861 under review (2015); Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill in discussions (2018); review of the use of “pain-inducing restraint” in secure training centres and young offenders institutions and of degrading restraining practices in health institutions (2018)NO
United Arab EmiratesDraft Federal Act on Domestic Violence and draft Federal Act on Juvenile Delinquents under discussion (2018)[NO]
UR TanzaniaProposed Constitution under discussion (2016); Zanzibar Education Act 1982 under review (2015)NO
US Virgin IslandsBill to prohibit corporal punishment in public schools under discussion (2019)SOME
USAEnding Corporal Punishment in Schools Bill 2019 and Ending PUSHOUT Bill 2019 under discussion (2019)SOME
UzbekistanAmendments to Family Code possibly under discussion (2013); Juvenile Justice Act being drafted (2012)?
VanuatuComprehensive law on children being drafted (2014); Family Protection Act under review (2016); Young Offenders Bill possibly under discussion (2013); Child Protection Bill being discussed (2017); Juvenile Bill under consideration (2018)[YES]
Viet NamNo known opportunitiesN/A
Western SaharaNo known opportunitiesN/A
YemenDraft Child Rights Act under discussion (2015); new Constitution being drafted (2015)SOME
ZimbabweLegislation authorising corporal punishment in schools under review (2011); General Amendment Bill to harmonise laws with the Constitution under discussion (2015); Children's Act and Education Act under review (2016); draft Juvenile Justice Bill (2016)?

 

In the above table, the dates given in brackets indicate the most recent information held by End Corporal Punishment: to our knowledge all bills, draft laws, etc referred to are currently still "live" and still present opportunities for enacting prohibition of corporal punishment. Information in square brackets is unconfirmed. If you believe any of the information to be incorrect or out of date, please email secretariat@end-violence.org. For further details on all states and territories see the individual country reports on this website.