At present, the law in Northern Ireland and in England allows parents to rely on a defence of “reasonable punishment” where accused of assaulting their child.

A similar defence was abolished south of the border in 2015, in Scotland in 2020 and in Wales in 2022.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has called for urgent reform in light of polling suggesting that most parents in England oppose child smacking.

Children’s charity NSPCC commissioned the YouGov polling, which found that 81 per cent of parents with a child under 18 in England believe it’s unacceptable for adults to use physical punishment on their child.

Professor Andrew Rowland, RCPCH officer for child protection and a consultant paediatrician, said: “This latest research makes it clear that physical punishment has no place in modern parenting.

“Health professionals stand firmly with parents and young people in recognising that physical punishment is not only outdated and unjust, but also harmful to children’s health and wellbeing. 

“It increases the risk of adverse mental health, serious physical harm, and behavioural problems in childhood. Evidence also shows it can damage parent-child relationships and contribute to greater aggression and violence later in life.

“We urge the [UK] government to listen to parents, young people, health professionals and the wider public and to finally remove the outdated and unfair ‘reasonable punishment’ defence.

“England and Northern Ireland must follow the example of Scotland, Wales and 66 other nations around the world and ensure children are fully protected under the law. It is time to put children’s wellbeing first.”