Smack ban adoption ruling upheld

A couple who said they had the right to smack their adopted son have been told for a second time that they cannot adopt his two-year-old half-sister.

Newham Council held a re-hearing into the case after the High Court ruled its original decision to stop the adoption was "bordering on the bizarre".

The authority's ruling went against the conclusion of an independent review panel which recommended the adoption.

Now the council has again ruled against the couple, known only as Mr and Mrs A.

Safety concerns

The council said its priority was to act in the best interests of children.

"We have decided that the couple should not be approved as adopters for the London Borough of Newham," a council spokesman said on Friday.

"We have contacted the couple to say that we are sorry that their application has not been successful and have explained to them the detailed reasons behind our decision."

Newham Council had told the couple they were unsuitable because of their attitude to corporal punishment, their finances and child safety concerns.

The latest ruling came after the High Court last week quashed the council's original decision as unreasonable and ordered the authority to make a fresh decision.

The court had heard that Mr A admitted smacking his adopted son for swearing on a single occasion.