Prohibiting corporal punishment of children in the Caribbean ...

SURINAMECountry Reports: Independent statesChild population (0-17): 176,000 (UNICEF, 2010)Current legality of corporal punishmentHome (lawful): There is no defence for the use of corporalpunishment enshrined in law, but provisions against violenceand abuse in the Code of Criminal Law, the Act on DomesticViolence and the Constitution are not interpreted asprohibiting all corporal punishment in childrearing.Schools (lawful): Ministerial directives advise against usingcorporal punishment but there is no prohibition in law.Penal system – sentence for crime (unlawful): Corporalpunishment is not among the permitted sanctions in theCriminal Code.Penal system – disciplinary measure in penal institutions(unlawful): Corporal punishment is not among permittedmeasures in the internal regulations governing the penalinstitution, but there is no explicit prohibition.Alternative care settings (lawful): There is no explicitprohibition.Law reform under wayIn 2011, regulations which would prohibit corporalpunishment in day care were being discussed.Human rights jurisprudence oncorporal punishmentTreaty body recommendations/observations: Committeeon the Rights of the Child (2007, 2000) 34UPR (2011): Government accepted the recommendation toprohibit in schools but rejected recommendations to prohibitin the home and other settings. 35Law Islam reform and corporal necessary punishment to in achieveprohibition alternative carein SurinameExplicit prohibition of corporalpunishment in the home, schools, penalinstitutions and alternative care settings.34 18 June 2007, CRC/C/SUR/CO/2, Concluding observations on second report, paras. 36 and 37; 28 June 2000, CRC/C/15/Add.130, Concludingobservations on initial report, paras. 41 and 4235 11 July 2011, A/HRC/18/12, Report of the Working Group, para. 72; 13 September 2011, A/HRC/18/12/Add.1, Report of the Working Group: Addendum,para. 13progress report 2012 45