SPCS

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY STANDARDS INC.

Chief Censors’ denial of involvement in banning religious videos is proved false

by Leave a Comment

“Censors and Videotapes”
Letters to the Editor
The NZ Herald, 6/03/06

Chief Censor Bill Hastings says that columnist Jim Hopkins’ attempt at satire over South Park evaporates in the harsh light of truth because he did not ban religious videotapes to which Hopkins refers.

Hastings’ claim is disingenuous. He was largely responsible for writing the decision that resulted in the banning of the two videos (GayRights/Special Rights: Inside the Homosexual Agenda and AIDS: What You Haven’t Been Told) when he was the deputy president of the Film and Literature Board of Review, a statutory position he held before becoming Deputy Chief Censor in 1998.

[Read more…]

Couples say ‘I don’t’ to civil unions

by Leave a Comment

26 February 2006

By EMMA PAGE and JENNIFER DANN

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3585006a11,00.html

Marriage celebrants are opting out of conducting civil unions because barely one couple a day has elected to have the alternative ceremony since its introduction almost a year ago.

Only 362 couples have chosen civil unions, compared with 15,683 marriages, since the Civil Union Act – which allows same-sex and heterosexual couples to gain legal standing on a par with marriage – became law last April.

Only 62 heterosexual, 145 gay and 153 lesbian couples have had civil unions.

[Read more…]

NZ Police confirm repeal of s. 59 criminalises parents who discipline by smacking

by Leave a Comment

Friday, 24 February 2006

On 11 August 2005, Dr A Jack of the Legal Services of the NZ Police, wrote to Mr Craig S. Smith, National Director Family Integrity. His letter, which has been brought to the attention of parliament by Judith Collins MP, is reproduced below with minor editorial additions in square brackets that take account of of Dr Jack’s omissions when referring to s. 59, as well as clarifying some points.

[Read more…]

Demographic Data Sought Urgently on Chief Censor’s Office

by Leave a Comment

Media Release 3/02/06

The Society executive has requested the following information today from the Chief Censor, Bill Hastings, in an Official Information Request, marked “URGENT”. (1) Basic data on gender, ethnicity, religious affiliation, sexual orientation for all those employed as classification officers, information unit and complaints officers in the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC); and (2) Basic data on the above demographics for members of the executive of the OFLC (Chief Censor and Deputy Chief Censor). The request notes:

[Read more…]

CRITIC – Otago Uni Students’ Mag – banned by Censor’s Office

by Leave a Comment

Media Release 1/02/06

In a decision dated 31 January 2006 and signed by the Chief Censor of Film and Literature, Bill Hastings, the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) has ruled that the Otago University Student Association’s Magazine CRITIC TE AROHI (Issue 23, Sept 19, 2005) is “objectionable” in terms of section 3(2)(b) and 3(2)(d) of the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993 (“the Act”). The Society formally submitted this obscene and offensive publication to the OFLC for classification on the 23rd of September 2005, a few days after it was published by Planet Media Dunedin Ltd. and began to be distributed freely among university students at Otago University. The Commissioner of Police (NZ) and the Drug Rape Trust (NZ) also submitted the magazine for classification.

[Read more…]