Is smacking illegal in the UK?

Yes, smacking is illegal in the United Kingdom. In 2020, the Scottish Parliament passed legislation outlawing the physical punishment of children. This made Scotland the first part of the UK to enforce such a ban. Later that year, the Welsh Government similarly outlawed the physical punishment of children. Following suit, the UK and Crown Dependencies, namely, Jersey and Guernsey passed similar legislation effectively banning smacking nationwide by late 2022.