Call for authority to classify videotapes

Press, 29 May 1985, Page 24

Call for authority to classify videotapes

PA Wellington An authority similar to the Indecent Publications Tribunal is needed urgently to classify indecent videotapes, according to the Customs Department. The department believes such a tribunal is needed to overcome the problems of variation in court decisions, court costs, delays, adverse publicity for importers and i;o ensure that proper guidelines for videotape classifications are established quickly. The Customs Department’s comments are contained in the report of an interdepartmental committee on the system of dealing with videotapes which may be indecent.

The report, released this week,recommends that the

Government decide whether such a body is necessary, with the criterion of indecency being that used in the Indecent Publications Act. It also recommends that the Government support moves to introduce a single, uniform, New Zealand-based information system for hirers and purchasers of videotapes for private use. The report says no such uniform information is provided to help people to decide whether tapes they are . thinking of hiring or buying are suitable for children or other audiences.

The report recommends that the Government decides whether existing customs controls should continue.

It says all films and videotapes for public exhibi-

tion should be exempt from customs controls and that approval for exhibition be the responsibility of the Chief Film Censor. All films and videotapes approved by the Chief Censor should be excluded from consideration by the proposed tribunal, says the report. It says there should be regular consultation between the Chief Censor and the chairman of the proposed tribunal. In a joint statement, the Minister of Justice, Mr Palmer, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Tapsell, and the Minister of Customs, Mrs Shields, said the Government had yet to make any decisions on the question of indecent videotapes.