The Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Act 2020 received Royal Assent on 20 March 2020 and will come into force on Monday 21 March 2022.
The purpose of the legislation is to help protect children’s rights; it builds on the Welsh Government’s commitment to children’s rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Under the law, parents and other adults acting in a parental capacity will no longer be able to physically punish children in Wales. The Minister responsible for the legislation is Julie Morgan MS, Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, Welsh Government.