Censorship Authority
On Wednesday, the 7th of May, 1975, the Honourable Miss Ko
Siu Wah raised a question in the Legislative Council asking Government when
firmer laws would be introduced to curb the publication and circulation of
materials and magazines of a pornographic and violent nature particularly in the
case of those aimed at children andyoung people. The Acting Attorney General
replied that progress was being made that legislative action was being considered
and a Bill was being drafted and was at that time subject of consultation within
various branches of the Government.
type of
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The public response to the curbing of this publication was very
encouraging because many newspaper vendors voluntarily reduced the sale of
these type of publications. In London, the G.L.C. has the power and the
authority to ban motion picture and magazines of this nature. The philosophy in U. K.
If
is to let the adults decide on what they like to buy and what they like to see.
these adults like to spoil themselves with this type of motion picture and magazines,
that is their own business. But most of the members of the Parliament agree in
principle that if the pornographic and violent motion picture and magazines are
specially manufactured for consumption by children and young people, it is their
view that the Urban Council should assume censorship authority.
In my view this is an ideal activity for the Urban Council because
determining whether a motion picutre is harmful to children or young people can
be made by any people with common sense. Other than Run Run Shaw and other
prominent film companies, I do not think that anybody would suffer losses, and
their loss would be minimal as their pictures are directed to adults generally.
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