SOCIETY FOR PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY STANDARDS INC.
by SPCS 2 Comments
Copy of Correspondence between Minister of Justice Hon. Mark Burton and Society
On 6 September 2007 the Minister replied to the Society’s email dated 1 June 2007 (copied below) requesting basic information on steps taken by the government to control the tidal wave of objectionable content (hard core pornography, gratuitous sexual violence and graphic violence etc.) flooding the Internet, much of which is accessible to children and young people via home and workplace computers.
The Sydney Morning Herald spent two months charting a social phenomenon that is poisoning couples and destroying families. Adele Horin reports:
The internet has brought an explosion of pornography into the home and workplace of virtually every Australian. Just a mouse-click away are images that exceed the bounds of fantasy or imagination. In 1961 the introduction of the pill helped usher in a sexual revolution. It had a profound effect on sexual attitudes, practices and relationships. It brought worry-free sex first to married couples, then to singles. And now there are experts – psychiatrists, sociologists and relationship counsellors among them – who argue that the social and psychological impact of internet pornography is potentially as huge.
For some Australians, the rising tide of internet pornography has offered a form of sex education. It has helped extend sexual repertoires, re-invigorated flagging sex lives, and assuaged anxieties or hang-ups. It has been, some argue, a liberation.
But internet pornography is also emerging as the new marriage-wrecker. More and more clients, counsellors say, have begun to cite internet pornography as a factor in their relationship breakdowns.
The technology has created what some call an addiction.
For full article entitled "How porn is wrecking relationships"
Sydney Morning Herald (26/05/07) go to:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/how-porn-is-wrecking-relationships/2007/05/25/1179601669144.html
Media Report 7 June
The Society’s investigations have determined that over a two year period before a 49-year old prominent Wellington town planner, appeared on 22 March 2007 before Wellington District Court Judge Stephen Harrop to face charges over the importation of 11 “objectionable” publications; he had embarked on a hugely expensive exercise, aided by his lawyer, Mr Greg King, to use the Film and Literature Board of Review and the Chief Censor’s Office to help him overturn the charges. Robert John Schofield attempted unsuccessfully to have the classification of the publications downgraded from “objectionable” to “age restricted” (R18) so he could avoid conviction. The Society has applied under the Official Information Act to the Board Secretary and the Chief Censor’s Office to obtain copies of all the classification decisions issued with respect to these publications.
Press Release 31 May
The Society commends Wellington District Court Judge Stephen Harrop for upholding the law by charging a “prominent Wellington town planner” Robert John Schofield, 49, for importing by post via the internet, DVDs that were classified “objectionable” (Dominion Post 31/05). That decision issued on 22 March was upheld in the High Court at Wellington this week, by Justice Warwick Gendall who confirmed Judge Harrop’s decisions on both conviction and name suppression (see below).
‘Ban baton sex video’
Sunday Star-Times
11 March 2007, A4
A COMMUNITY standards lobby group is asking for a porn video featuring police batons used as “sex toys” to be banned in light of public outrage over historic allegations against police officers.
The Society for Promotion of Community Standards has applied for leave from the chief censor to have the classification of Big Boob Lesbian Cops II reconsidered.
This film – which features group sex and “humorous” role-plays involving police officers using batons as penetrative sex toys on women – was cleared for R18 release with no cuts in 1994.