Parents or others acting in loco parentis could use physical force to punish their children, even though a law allowing parents to use force against their children was repealed in 2001. They could do this by relying on the common law defence of “reasonable chastisement”. This meant that a person could hit or smack a child and argue that they did so to discipline the child. This was a defence to what would otherwise be an assault on the child. This defence can no longer be used in the courts. The Children First Act 2015 provides for a number of key child protection measures which came into effect on 11 December 2015. Since that date, a person who physically punishes a child can no longer rely on the defence of “reasonable chastisement” in the courts. No new offence has been created and there are no laws that directly ban the smacking of children. However the withdrawal of the “reasonable chastisement” defence means that an effective ban is in place.