FILM CENSORSHIP

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 218, 11 June 1930, Page 11

FILM CENSORSHIP

VICTORIA’S APPEAL AUTHORITY Following the announcement that the State Ministry had decided to attempt to raise the standard of moving picture films exhibited in Victoria by stricter enforcement by the State Censorship of Films Act, the Chief Secretary (Mr. Tunnecliffe) said that the Ministry intended that Professor W. A. Osborne should continue to act, for the Chief Secretary, as the person to whom appeals must be made against decisions of the Commonwealth Censorship Board. . Many complaints have been made in the past that the effect of censorship has been weakened by the frequency with which decisions of the Commonwealth Censorship Board, which also acts as the censorship authority of Victoria, have been set aside by the Commonwealth Appeal Board. Until recently, decisions of the Appeal Board were accepted in Victoria, and decisions of the Censorship Board varied on appeal by that authority were accepted. The State Act, however, disregards the Commonwealth Appeal Board, and provides that appeals from decisions of the Censorship Board shall be made to the Chief Secretary or to a person appointed by him. Professor Osborne has acted as the State appeal authority, but hitherto his duties have consisted chiefly of hearing appeals against the classification of films as suitable for exhibition before adults only. In the future all appeals in Victoria against decisions of the Censorship Board must be made to Professor Osborne, and films, even though approved for exhibition elsewhere in Australia by the Commonwealth Appeal Board, must not be shown In Victoria, unless Professor Osborne also sets aside the decision of the Censorship Board. Although the State may decide whether films which ’ the Federal censors have banned and which subsequently have been passed on appeal may be shown in Victoria, it is unlikely that the State will register for exhibition films which the Federal Appeal Board as well as the Censorship Board has banned. The Federal censorship is exercised through the Customs Act. The Customs Department will not release from bond films which the Federal authorities have decided must not be exhibited, hence registration for exhibition by State authorities would be ineffectual.