Pediatricians on Wednesday urged the UK government to follow devolved governments in Scotland and Wales and outlaw smacking children in England and Northern Ireland, arguing the move was "long overdue."
One government minister insisted however that the existing laws were adequate.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) said in a new report that current law in England and Northern Ireland had created "grey areas" that sometimes provided a defence for physical punishment.
Wales made any type of corporal punishment — including smacking, hitting, slapping and shaking — illegal in March 2022, while Scotland introduced a similar ban in November 2020.
However, the RCPCH argues a 2004 law for England and 2006 legislation for Northern Ireland covering this area needed amending to remove a possible "reasonable punishment" defence.
Its report said that ahead of a general election expected later this year, all political parties should make "meaningful commitments on this important children's rights issue."
