THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 1987
CATEGORY III FILMS WOULD BE FOR RESTRICTED AUDIENCES ONLY AND CINEMA OPERATORS SHOWING THIS CATEGORY OF FILMS WOULD BE OBLIGED, UNDER THE DRAFT BILL, TO ENSURE THAT SUCH FILMS ARE VIEWED ONLY BY PERSONS WHO HAVE ATTAINED THE AGE OF 18.
THE TELEVISION AND ENTERTAINMENT LICENSING AUTHORITY WOULD IN TURN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CARRYING OUT SPOT CHECKS ON CINEMAS SHOWING CATEGORY [11 FILMS, FOR EXAMPLE, AT THE ENTRY OR EXIT POINTS, AND FOR TAKING PROSECUTION ACTION WHERE APPROPRIATE AGAINST THE CINEMA OPERATORS CONCERNED.
IT WOULD, HOWEVER, BE A DEFENCE FOR THE EXHIBITOR TO SHOW THAT HE HAS TAKEN ALL REASONABLE PRECAUTIONS TO PREVENT THE EXHIBITION OF THE FILM TO PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF 18.
THE PROPOSED MAXIMUM PENALTY WOULD BE A FINE OF $10 000 ON FIRST CONVICTION AND FINE OF $50 000 AND IMPRISONMENT FOR ONE YEAR ON SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT CONVICTION.
IN ADDITION, THE AUTHORITY MAY ALSO ISSUE A WARNING LETTER TO THE OFFENDING OPERATOR, SUSPEND OR REVOKE HIS CINEMA PERMIT GRANTED UNDER SECTION 8 OF THE PLACES OF PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT ORDINANCE.
ON FUTURE CENSORSHIP STANDARDS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE AUTHORITY HAD COMPLETED A LARGE-SCALE OPINION STUDY THROUGH A CONSULTANCY FIRM TO FIND OUT WHAT THE CENSORSHIP STANDARDS SHOULD BE UNDER THE NEW CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM.
+ACCORDING TO THE FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, IT IS LIKELY THAT THERE WILL BE SOME RELAXATION IN STANDARDS FOR CATEGORY 111 FILMS, BUT THAT CATEGORY I FILMS MAY BE SUBJECT TO SIMILAR CENSORSHIP STANDARDS AS THOSE PRESENTLY APPLIED TO FILMS CONSIDERED 'NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN'.+
THE DRAFT BILL STATES THAT A CENSOR SHALL EXAMINE A FILM TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE FILM IS OR IS NOT SUITABLE FOR EXHIBITION. THE CENSOR SHALL ALSO EXAMINE ANY ACCOMPANYING SOUNDTRACK OF THE FILM.
THE CENSOR MAY CONSULT ANY PERSON HE CONSIDERS NECESSARY BEFORE REACHING HIS DECISION IN RESPECT OF THE FILM. AT PRESENT ABOUT 90 SELECTED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE INVITED BY ROSTER TO VIEW FILMS WITH THE CENSORS AND TO TENDER ADVICE.
THE DRAFT
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