Smacking children is now a criminal offence in Scotland.
Scottish Parliament on Saturday passed a law that provides children the same protection from assault as adults. While Scotland is the 58th nation worldwide to make smacking of under-16s illegal, it is the first part of the UK to outlaw physical punishment. Wales is expected to follow suit with the introduction of a ban by 2022. Scottish politician John Finnie introduced changes to the law that first allowed 'justifiable assault' on children. The smacking ban would help demonstrate to children that violence is not acceptable, hoped Finnie. Sweden was the first country in the world to ban smacking of children in 1979.