What the new ammendment means

Lindsay from lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com enlightens us as to what the new ammendment that Key has accepted will mean.

Taking stock, what do we have now with the Key/Clark amendment?

I have no legal knowledge.

If a police officer can be persuaded that more than 'inconsequential' force has been used he or she will decide a prosecution is warranted.

What happens when the parent arrives in court? There is no longer a defence of reasonable force but can his lawyer then argue that the force used was in fact 'inconsequential' and his client wrongly prosecuted? Can the parent still request a jury trial? Are we back where we started from?

(I think I have just listened to Larry Baldock calling Newstalk ZB. He suggests Clark was facing a caucus revolt. Opposers of the bill were on the point of winning but thanks to John Key the legislation will now pass with the amendment.)

Update; From Stuff about the amendment, At the same time it did not define an acceptable level of violence against children, which would have pushed Ms Bradford to withdraw the bill completely.

Well, it does. The new acceptable level of violence will be whatever a cop decides is 'inconsequential'.