Bias row as MSP’s daughter scrutinises his smacking bill
PLANS to outlaw smacking in Scotland will be scrutinised by a committee led by the daughter of the MSP who is championing the ban.
Campaigners yesterday questioned whether the equality and human rights committee would act impartially when considering Scottish Green Party MSP John Finnie’s Equal Protection Bill.
The convener of the committee is Nationalist MSP Ruth Maguire, Mr Finnie’s daughter.
Mr Finnie published the draft legislation in September in a bid to outlaw smacking in Scotland.
The Bill has the backing of the Scottish Government along with Labour, the Lib Dems and some Conservative MSPs.
The legislation will remove the defence of ‘justifiable chastisement’ in Scots Law, which allows parents to use physical punishment to admonish a child.
Because of the lack of opposition in the Scottish parliament, it is thought the ban will be in place by the end of next year.
MSPs on the committee will begin their consideration of the Bill today. It is understood this will include discussions on potential witnesses, a timetable for the legislation and whether members plan to make any visits in relation to it.
But the Be Reasonable campaign group, which opposes the ban, has warned it could unfairly criminalise parents for disciplining their children, while failing to help the youngsters most at risk from abuse. A spokesman said: ‘The make-up of the committee raises serious questions about its impartiality.
‘How can committee convener Ruth Maguire, John Finnie’s daughter, be expected to impartially scrutinise his Bill?
‘It is patently obvious the committee is biased. This is a travesty of democracy.
‘In opinion polls, three-quarters of the Scottish public oppose John Finnie’s Bill to criminalise parents who smack their children, yet it has been assigned to a committee that is overwhelmingly stacked in its favour.
‘This is nothing less than an insult to the public.’
In a previous interview Mr Finnie admitted he had smacked his daughter on occasion, but said she had turned out to be ‘well-rounded’. The campaign spokesman added: ‘It is ironic that Ruth Maguire herself was occasionally smacked by her father, John Finnie, when she was a child.
‘This destroys the myth that ordinary smacking is so harmful that parents must be criminalised for it.
‘It also begs the question whether Miss Maguire will ask the committee to amend the Bill to give it retrospective effect so her own father can be one of the first to be prosecuted for “historic smacking” offences.’
Yesterday, a source said that as Mr Finnie and Miss Maguire are in different parties it is likely they are used to having robust political discussions.
A committee spokesman said: ‘The committee’s work takes place transparently and is open to the public. The committee will be seeking views soon and will engage with a wide range of people.
‘It looks forward to hearing many opinions as it scrutinises the proposed legislation.’