{"id":16347,"date":"2019-11-25T11:12:22","date_gmt":"2019-11-25T11:12:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/endcorporalpunishment.org\/?p=16347"},"modified":"2019-11-25T16:24:51","modified_gmt":"2019-11-25T16:24:51","slug":"equal-protection-in-england","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/endcorporalpunishment.org\/equal-protection-in-england\/","title":{"rendered":"Discussing equal protection for children in England"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Earlier this month, the Global Initiative ran a workshop on Equal Protection for Children at the Celebrating Children\u2019s Rights<\/em><\/a> conference organised by UCL, CRAE and the Foundling Museum to mark the 30th<\/sup> anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.<\/span><\/p>

The aim of the workshop was to draw on the success stories from Ireland and Scotland, where prohibition of all corporal punishment of children has been enacted, as well as Wales, which is in the last stages of the same process, in order to identify drivers for change in England. The workshop was well attended with a diverse group of participants, including an NHS worker, representatives from local authorities, civil society, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and parliamentary staff.<\/span><\/p>

The Chair Gr\u00e1inne Mellon, Barrister at Garden Court Chambers, opened the workshop by welcoming the recent progress in Scotland. After a quick introduction of the issue by the Global Initiative, participants heard from Rachel Thomas, Head of Policy & Public Affairs for the Children\u2019s Commissioner for Wales, who gave an overview of the Welsh campaign for equal protection from physical punishment. Consistent and strategic use of language, manifesto commitments on the issue and choosing to work through a single-issue Bill were flagged as key drivers of the campaign. Participants also viewed a video<\/a> in which Jillian van Turnhout, a former Irish Senator, shared her experience of successfully championing law reform to end all corporal punishment. Commenting on the video, the Chair highlighted the importance of having a champion in Parliament and reminded participants of the power of human rights law, with the European Committee of Social Rights\u2019 2015 decision against Ireland one of the deciding factors for the adoption of the ban.<\/span><\/p>

Participants then took part in group discussions \u2013 facilitated by the Global Initiative and Seamus Byrne, Law Lecturer at the University of Liverpool \u2013 on the obstacles and opportunities for equal protection in England. Highlights from the discussion included:<\/span><\/p>