List of Issues published on UK compliance with International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

Date: 11th June 2020
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

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Paragraphs 24 and 25 of the UN Human Rights Committee’s List of Issues relate to children's rights, specifically concerning putting an end to corporal punishment and increasing the age of criminal responsibility.

The UN Human Rights Committee has asked the UK to provide information on the concrete steps taken to put an end to corporal punishment in all settings in England and Northern Ireland and measures taken by the State party, including any awareness-raising or training programmes, to address public resistance to the prohibition of corporal punishment.

In addition, the UN Human Rights Committee has asked if the UK intends to raise the age of criminal responsibility, which is set at 12 years in Scotland and at 10 years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child issued a new General Comment in 2019, making clear that the minimum acceptable age was at least 14 years old.

Now that the List of Issues relating to the ICCPR has been published, the next stage of the process is for the UK Government and stakeholders to submit responses by April 2021.

  • To discover more about the next steps in the review process, click here
  • Read the complete list of issues published here