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Prevention of Cruelty to, and Protection of, Children Act 1889

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Prevention of Cruelty to, and Protection of, Children Act, 1889[1]
Long titleAn Act for the Prevention of Cruelty to, and better Protection of, Children.
Citation52 & 53 Vict. c.44
Dates
Royal assent26 August 1889
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Prevention of Cruelty to, and Protection of, Children Act 1889, commonly known as the Children's Charter,[2] was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (as it then was).

It was the first Act of Parliament for the prevention of cruelty to children. It enabled the state to intervene, for the first time, in relations between parents and children. Police could arrest or investigate anyone found ill-treating a child, and enter a home if a child was thought to be in danger. The act included guidelines on the child labor laws and outlawed begging.[3]

References

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  1. ^ This short title was conferred by section 19
  2. ^ Batty, David (18 May 2005). "Timeline: a history of child protection". The Guardian.
  3. ^ Ibid.
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