Parents must choose to obey God or the law – Freedom of Religion SA
Freedom of Religion South Africa (FOR SA) says the Constitutional Court failed to uphold a parent's right to discipline children as they see fit.
The Constitutional Court upheld the 2017 high court judgment outlawing corporal punishment in private homes.
The highest court in the land handed down the ruling on Wednesday morning.
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The landmark ruling was appealed by the lobby group on the grounds that the judgment would turn well-meaning parents into criminals.
For SA's Legal Advisor Daniela Ellerbeck says the ruling will put parents of faith in a precarious position.
"This judgment makes criminals of many people of faith that believe that scriptures command them to physically discipline children at times, where neccesary, always in love and for many of them they will have to choose whether they obey God and whether they obey the law.
"When your two-year-old throws a tantrum in the aisle and you give a flicker on the wrist you will be committing the crime of assault and you will be opening yourself up o the criminal consequences of that."
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