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Institute
Update Issue 2 - May 2002
Assembly Member wins smacking vote
As the Northern Ireland Executive plans to change the law on smacking, a Northern Ireland Assembly Member has won a significant vote. UUP Assembly Member, Dr Esmond Birnie, won a motion highlighting the fact that the law is to be left unchanged in England and Wales.
The motion read: “That this Assembly calls on the Minister of Finance and Personnel to take note of the outcome of the consultation in England and Wales by the Department of Health on the law on the physical correction of children in their homes, ‘Protecting Children, Supporting Parents’ (2000), which decided not to change the legislation.” Dr Birnie succeeded with his motion by 34 to 30 votes.
The Northern Ireland Executive has just consulted on proposals to scrap the right of parents to smack their own children. The Office for Law Reform in the Province says the law must change because of European Law. But the UK Government has just said this is not so.
Westminster Health Minister, Jacqui Smith, said changing the law would not be popular nor could it be consistently enforced. The Christian Institute has published a briefing, Locking up Parents?, arguing against a ban on smacking in Northern Ireland.
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Assembly Member wins smacking vote
As the Northern Ireland Executive plans to change the law on smacking, a Northern Ireland Assembly Member has won a significant vote. UUP Assembly Member, Dr Esmond Birnie, won a motion highlighting the fact that the law is to be left unchanged in England and Wales.
The motion read: “That this Assembly calls on the Minister of Finance and Personnel to take note of the outcome of the consultation in England and Wales by the Department of Health on the law on the physical correction of children in their homes, ‘Protecting Children, Supporting Parents’ (2000), which decided not to change the legislation.” Dr Birnie succeeded with his motion by 34 to 30 votes.
The Northern Ireland Executive has just consulted on proposals to scrap the right of parents to smack their own children. The Office for Law Reform in the Province says the law must change because of European Law. But the UK Government has just said this is not so.
Westminster Health Minister, Jacqui Smith, said changing the law would not be popular nor could it be consistently enforced. The Christian Institute has published a briefing, Locking up Parents?, arguing against a ban on smacking in Northern Ireland.
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