Anti-smacking Bill
Dad Argues for right to hit son
Friday, December 7th, 2007The Nelson Mail, Friday, 07 December 2007
By SALLY KIDSON - A Nelson father charged with assaulting his son, in one of the region’s first prosecutions under a controversial new child discipline law, says he is prepared to go to jail for his right as a parent and a Christian to hit his child.
Rowan Flynn has [...]
The Empresses’ new clothes or Smacking: Those Kiwis must be crazy!
Friday, July 27th, 2007By Ruby Harrold-Claesson
Attorney-at-Law in Gothenburg, Sweden. President of the NCHR (www.nkmr.org)
One year ago, I travelled 36 hours from Gothenburg, Sweden to Auckland at the invitation of the Section 59 Coalition. I came to testify at the Parliamentary hearing on the private member’s Bill that proposed a repeal of Section 59 of the Crimes Act and [...]
How Caregivers will be Criminalised Under Sue Bradford’s ‘anti-smacking’ Bill
Friday, April 27th, 2007Press Release 27 April 2007
If Green MP Sue Bradford’s ‘anti-smacking bill’ is passed into law, increasing numbers of childcare workers (e.g. creche and kindergarten workers) and those in the place of parents (e.g. grandparents, foster parents and guardians) will be charged with criminal assault by the police for lightly smacking children for “correction” purposes and [...]
Legal Opinion by QC Shows How Good Parents Will Be Criminalised by Bradford’s anti-smacking Bill
Sunday, March 11th, 2007United Future MP Gordon Copeland has recently received a legal opinion he commissioned from Peter McKenzie QC, dealing with the effect of Green MP Sue Bradford’s private member’s bill, on the actions of parents who remove their kids using “reasonable force”, against their will, to “time-out zones” for disruptive and defiant behaviour. He concluded that [...]
Well over 80% Oppose Bradford’s ‘Anti-Smacking’ Bill
Tuesday, November 21st, 2006Press Release 21/11/06
The Society agrees with the 87% of New Zealanders who hold strongly to the view that parents should be able to smack their children without fear of breaking the law (Today’s on-line Stuff News Poll). Clearly the overwhelming majority of New Zealanders, as evidenced by the results of numerous nation-wide polls over the [...]
Swedish child abuse increases despite anti-smacking laws
Monday, July 31st, 2006Press Release 31/07/06
Non-government child advocate lobby groups in NZ have urged police to confirm that police officers will not arrest parents for smacking their children, should smacking become a criminal offence if Section 59 is removed from the Crimes Act, upon the passage of Green MP Sue Bradford’s bill into law. In effect, what they [...]
Swedish Parents Kill 258 of their children (1965-1999)
Saturday, July 29th, 2006Media Report 28/07/06
Sweden has been hailed by Green MP Sue Bradford as an enlightened country where anti-smacking legislation has had a significant impact on reducing the number of child homicides committed by parents. She wants to repeal Section 59 of the Crimes Act, which provides a defence of “reasonable force” to parents, or those in [...]
Society Shares Qualified Swedish Lawyer’s Concerns Re S. 59
Friday, June 16th, 2006Family Integrity says that Swedish lawyer Ruby Harrold-Claesson, who coming to New Zealand next month, will be the most qualified person ever to speak in New Zealand on the effect of Sweden’s smacking ban on that country’s social fabric.
Dr Joan Durrant of the University of Manitoba in Canada has been to New Zealand twice reporting [...]
Minister confirms no NZ Court ruling on meaning of S. 59 re "a person in the place of a parent"
Tuesday, June 6th, 2006
Office of Hon Mark Burton, M.P. for Taupo. Minister of Justice. 6 June 2006.
Dear DavidThank you for your email of 22 February 2006 regarding section 59 of the Crimes Act 1961. Your email to the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment has been referred to me for direct response as these matters fall within [...]
‘Anti-Smacking’ Lobby Submissions Analysed
Monday, May 29th, 2006Family Integrity representatives attended the first sitting of the Justice and Electoral Select Committee last Thursday to consider submissions on MP Sue Bradford’s Bill to repeal Section 59.
It was a showcase of the “heavies” lined up in favour of repeal: Save the Children, EPOCH, Familes Commission, UNICEF, Parent.org, Barnardos, Relationship Services, CCS, IHC and the [...]
NZ Police confirm repeal of s. 59 criminalises parents who discipline by smacking
Friday, February 24th, 2006Friday, 24 February 2006
On 11 August 2005, Dr A Jack of the Legal Services of the NZ Police, wrote to Mr Craig S. Smith, National Director Family Integrity. His letter, which has been brought to the attention of parliament by Judith Collins MP, is reproduced below with minor editorial additions in square brackets that take [...]