#CANADA: Ottawa School District Wants "Bubble" To Keep Parents From Protesting Near Schools

[world politics news]

Ottawa-Carleton District School Board trustee Nili Kaplan-Myrth has called for safety zones or "bubble zones" around schools to block future parental rights protests, one of which was scheduled for today, which she portrayed as being led by outsiders.

“There are anti-LGBTQ protesters, from the US, planning to show up outside Ottawa, Canada schools June 9th,” said Kaplan-Myrth in a Wednesday tweet.  “It puts students and staff and community at real risk.” 

A distict statement on its website said protecting rights of S2LGBTQIA+ students was a paramount concern of the district, which also portrayed parents protesting as dangerous bigots, led by those, "promoting inflammatory, transphobic, and hateful content against members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community." 

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ICELAND: Parliament Extends Parental Leave To 12 Months

[world politics news]

Iceland's Parliament has passed legislation extending parental leave to twelve months. Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir discussed the new law on Facebook, saying that it was a huge step forward for Icelandic families, and also an important step toward greater equality. Parental leave laws in effect today were passed in 2000, when Parliament extended the leave from six months to nine in three phases, she wrote. "Another twenty years passed without any extension, or until the time of our current government." Both fathers and mothers are entitled to paid family leave, under the new and the old laws.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#UK: Scottish Parliament Bans The Spanking Of Children

[world politics news]

The Scottish parliament has voted by a significant majority in favour of banning the physical punishment of children.

The bill, sponsored by Scottish Green Party MSP John Finnie and supported by the Scottish National Party government, is designed to give children equal protection from violence by removing the defense of “justifiable assault” in Scottish law.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SCOTLAND: Legislation Would Make It Illegal To Spank A Child; Church Of Scotland Lends Support

[world politics news]

The Church of Scotland is getting behind legislation to make hitting a child as a form of punishment illegal. The Children Equal Protection from Assault Bill, introduced by Scottish Green Member of Scottish Parliament John Finnie, would create a law to abolish the defense of "reasonable chastisement of a child."

Under current legislation, a person can claim that the physical punishment of a child is justifiable as a parental right or as a right of having charge or care of the child. However, the court does also consider a number of factors such as the nature of the action and duration. The Church of Scotland, and a number of other organisations wrote submissions to parliament's Equality and Human Rights Committee in support of the bill.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SCOTLAND: Bill In Scottish Parliament Would Ban Parents From "Smacking" Their Kids

[world politics news]

A Green member of the Scottish Parliament, John Finnie, is supporting legislation to ban parents in Scotland from striking their children. Public consultations on the bill will run through early August. The bill seeks to give children equal protection from assault, says Finnie, and the idea is backed by a number of children's charities and the Church of Scotland.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#NORTHERNIRELAND: Ban On Smoking In Cars With Children Being Planned

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Plans to ban smoking in private vehicles carrying children are to be discussed, the health minister has announced. Michelle O'Neill said it was "inconceivable that we continue to allow children to be exposed to such harm." In February 2016, Assembly members voted in favor of introducing the ban.
Similar legislation came into force in England and Wales in October 2015 and in Scotland in December 2016. In the Republic of Ireland, a ban took effect last year.

[FULL STORY HERE]  

#SCOTLAND: Plan To Appoint Social Worker For Every Child Struck Down By UK Court

[world politics news]

A plan to appoint a social worker ("named person") for every child in Scotland has been struck down by the UK's Supreme Court. Judges said the plan, which was unanimously passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2014, risks breaching the European Convention on Human Rights. The plan would have appointed someone to each child to answer their questions and that of their parents. Religious groups and charities opposed the law on privacy grounds.

Pictured: Middlesex Guildhall, home of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, in London.