France rebuked for allowing children to be smacked / France’s top court strikes down anti-smacking law

Author (Corporate)
Series Title
Series Details 04.03.15
Publication Date 04/03/2015
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In a decision published on the 4 March 2015, the Council of Europe’s European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) has found that the corporal punishment of children is not prohibited in a sufficiently clear, binding and precise manner under French law or case-law.

The Committee, which is tasked by the 47-member pan-European organisation with monitoring the application of the European Social Charter, also points out that it has repeatedly found that the situation was not in conformity with Article 17 of the Charter (Conclusions 2003, 2005 and 2011).

The BBC reported that the decision ignited a national debate in France where a parent's right to discipline children was still held dear.

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The French law condemning the smacking of children was struck down by the Constitutional Council in a ruling made in January 2017. The Constitutional Council, which vets legislation, rejected on technical grounds a law that asked parents to swear off hitting their children.

Source Link Link to Main Source http://www.france24.com/en/20150304-france-reprimanded-coporal-punishment-smacking-children-council-europe/
Related Links
The Local.fr, 04.03.15: 'No one would ever say you can slap your wife' http://www.thelocal.fr/20150304/no-one-would-ever-say-you-can-slap-your-wife
Council of Europe: Press Release, 04.03.15: Corporal punishment of children: Council of Europe finds France in breach of the European Social Charter https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=2295461&Site=DC&BackColorInternet=F5CA75&BackColorIntranet=F5CA75&BackColorLogged=A9BACE
BBC News, 08.03.15: France holds back the anti-smacking tide http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-31764589
Deutsche Welle, 05.03.15: France ticked off over smacking policy http://dw.de/p/1Elp9
EurActiv, 27.01.17: Top court strikes down France’s anti-smacking law http://www.euractiv.com/section/justice-home-affairs/news/top-court-strikes-down-frances-anti-smacking-law/
France24, 27.01.17: France’s top court strikes down anti-smacking law http://www.france24.com/en/20170127-france-children-top-court-constitutional-council-strikes-down-anti-smacking-law-rights
The Local.fr, 27.01.17: France rejects chance to introduce anti-smacking law http://www.thelocal.fr/20170127/france-throws-out-law-that-would-have-made-it-illegal-to-smack-kids

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