Tanzania’s High Court Declares School Corporal Punishment Regulations Unconstitutional: A Landmark Victory for Children’s Rights

Tanzania has reached a significant milestone in the protection of children's rights following a landmark judgment by the High Court of Tanzania, which has declared key regulations permitting corporal punishment in schools unconstitutional and null and void.

In a judgment delivered on 3 November 2026 at the High Court's Main Registry in Dodoma, a panel of three judges declared Regulations 2, 3 and 6 of the Education (Corporal Punishment) Regulations, Government Notice No. 294 of 2002, unconstitutional and null and void for being inconsistent with the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania, 1977.

The judgment was delivered by a panel comprising Hon. Justice A. Mruma, who led the panel, alongside Hon. Justice S. Hassan and Hon. Justice I. Musokwa. The decision concludes a major constitutional battle initiated by the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) through a petition filed on behalf of Samweli Maduhu Mangu against the Minister for Education and another respondent, in Constitutional Petition No. 32373 of 2025.

The ruling marks a turning point in Tanzania's approach to school discipline and the protection of learners against physical violence, reinforcing the constitutional principle that children's dignity and physical integrity must be respected within educational institutions.