The Film Renter and Moving Picture News (May-Jun 1923)

6 THE FILM RENTER & MOVING PICTURE NEWS. June 9, 1923. Ireland’s Official Censor His Office c and_ Duties PROVISION OF THE BILL AS PASSED BY DAIL EIREANN Official Censor of Films, and last week in the Dail the final stages of the progress of a Bill to appoint a Censor and define his duties were reached. The Bill has still to: pass the Senate, but it is not likely that any amendments seriously altering the measure are likely to be effected in that House, Posts? under its new administration is to have an THE OFFICE AND ITS RESPONSIBILITIES. Its title when passed will be the Censorship of Films Act, 1928, and it is described as *‘ an Act to provide for the official censoring of kinematograph pictures and for other matters connected therewith.’’ ‘The first section deals with the establishment of the office of Official Censor of Films, which is to be a corporation sole with perpetual succession and an official seal, and one that may sue and be sued. Section 2 provides for the appointment. of a fit person who shall hold office for such time and on such terms as shall be arranged with the sanction of the Minister for Finance by the Home Secretary. To provide against dissatisfaction with the Official Censor’s decisions section 3 establishes a Censorship of Films Appeal Board, consisting of nine commissioners who shall ‘hold office for five years, and be eligible for reappointment at the end of that period. Vacancies occurring are to be filled for the residue of the five years, and the chairman of the Board shall be a member appointed to that position by the Home Secretary. ‘Officers of the Official Censor and of the Appeal Board will be appointed in number as many as are necessary for the work, and the salaries of officials are to be a charge against the State. PENALTIES FOR BREACH. Section 5 provides that no picture shall be exhibited unless and until the Official Censor has certified that the whole of the picture is fit for public exhibition, and provides penalties for breach of the law, to come into operation six months after the passing of the Act. Its second paragraph reads as follows: Every person who exhibits in public by means of a cinematograph or a similar apparatus any picture which, or any part of which, has not been certified by the Official Censor to be fit for exhibition in public, and every person who knowingly permits any cinematograph or other apparatus owned or hired by him to be used for the exhibition in public of any such picture as aforesaid, and every person who knowingly permits any building or any land in his possession or occupation to bo used for the exhibition in public by any such means as aforesaid of any such picture as aforesaid, shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £50, and in the case of a continuing offence to a further fine not exceeding £65 for each day on which the offence continues, a Section 6 is similar to Section 5, except that it relates to a limited certificate. Its penalties are the same, and its first paragraph reads: No picture nor any part of a picture in respect of which the Official Censor has granted a limited certificate shall be exhibited in public by means of a cinematograph . . . at uny place not authorised by such certifieute or under any conditions inconsistent with the special conditions specified in such limited certifieate or in the presence of any persun who is not a member of the class in whose presence such picture is by such certificate authorised to be exhibited. APPLICATIONS FOR CERTIFICATES. Section 7 deals with the application for a certificate by au person desiring it. Paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 read: Whenever any such application as is mentioned in the foregoing sub-sections is made to the Official Censor, he shall certify in the prescribed manner that the picture to which the appiication relates is fit for exhibition in public, unless he is of opinion that such picture or some part thereo! is unfit for general exhibition in public by reason of its being indecent, obscene or blasphemous, or because the exhibition therenf in public would tend to inculcate principles contrary to public morality, or would be otherwise subversive of public morality. If the Official Censor is of opinion that any picture in re3pect of which an application is made to him under this section is not fit for general exhibition in public, hut is fit for exhibition in public in certain places in the Irish State or under special conditions or in the presence of certuin classes of persons, he shail grant a certificate that such picture is fit for exhibition in public, with such restrictions and conditions (which shall be expressed on the certificate) in regard to the places at which or the special conditions under “whieh the picture may be exhibited or the classes of persons who may be admitted to an exhibition of the picture as in the opinicn of the Official Censor are necessary to prevent the exhibition of the picture in public being subversive of public morality. Whenever the Official Censor is of opinion that part only of any picture in respect of which an application is made to him under this section is unfit for exhibition in public he shall indicate such part to the person makiny such application and thereupon such person may either (uv) separate such part from the picture and surrender it to the Official Censor, who shall retain it in his possession and grant a certificate to the picture with the omission of such part. or (#) may yegard the decision of the Official Censor as a refusal to grant a certificate and may appeal in uthe prescribed manner to the Appeal Board, Section 8 provides machinery for appeal aguinst the Censor’s decision, but does not grant to the Board the right to issue certificates. This has to be done by the Official Censor in accordance with. the Board's decision. (Continued on page 9.)