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Parental Consent Required Under Welsh Body Piercing Proposals (21 October 2011)

Date: 21/10/2011
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Parental Consent Required Under Welsh Body Piercing Proposals

The Welsh Government is to announce proposals to prevent children from getting body piercings in the absence of parental permission. The Government is to consult on whether or not there should be a legal age of consent for body piercings. The proposals come amid ministers’ fears that young people potentially exposing themselves to problems caused by body piercings, including infections. In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, there is no minimum age of consent for body piercing. However, under-16s in Scotland require parental consent. The Welsh consultation will consider whether new restrictions are necessary and, if so, the way in which they will be implemented will be discussed.

First Minister, Carwyn Jones, claimed that while cosmetic piercing had increased in popularity, more than a quarter of individuals who undergo body piercings experience complications. In February 2009, the Welsh Government received a petition calling for restrictions on the age at which children are able to have their bodies pierced. In 2004, the UK Department of Health stated that it had no plans to restrict the age at which an individual can have their body pierced. The UK Department of Health claimed that in introducing a minimum age of consent for body piercings, children might consider piercing themselves or each other in ways that are unsafe and unhygienic.

Duncan Lewis’ child care law department specialises in protecting the rights of children. The team of approachable child care law solicitors possess a wealth of experience and knowledge in all aspects of child care law.

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