Lawfulness of corporal punishment

Home

Corporal punishment is lawful in the home.

Schools

Corporal punishment is prohibited in schools, but we have been unable to obtain details of applicable legislation.

Penal system

We have been unable to ascertain the legal status of corporal punishment as a sentence for crime and as a disciplinary measure in penal institutions. Articles 143-147 of the Code of Criminal Procedure apply to juveniles in conflict with the law, but we have no details of their provisions or of other relevant legislation or regulations.

Alternative care

No information.

Workplace

No information.

Prevalence research

None identified.

Recommendations by human rights treaty bodies

Committee on the Rights of the Child

“The Committee recommends the State party to … undertake a study on violence, including sexual violence, against children within the family, at schools and in other institutions to assess the scope, nature and causes of these practices in order to adopt and implement a comprehensive plan of action, effective measures and policies in conformity with article 19 of the Convention, and to contribute to changing attitudes; … take all necessary steps to introduce the legal prohibition of the use of corporal punishment in schools and other institutions and at home;…

“The Committee recommends that the State party … implement the ban of corporal punishment at schools and train teachers with alternative measures of discipline….”
(1 February 2002, CRC/C/15/Add.171, Concluding observations on initial report, paras. 40 (a) and 54)