Children and Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act 1955

Children and Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act 1955
Children and Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act 1955

United Kingdom Parliament
Long title An Act to prevent the dissemination of certain pictorial publications harmful to children and young persons.
Statute book chapter c.28
Introduced by Gwilym Lloyd George
Territorial extent England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland (in part)
Dates
Royal Assent 6 May 1955
Commencement 6 June 1955
Status: Current legislation
Text of statute as originally enacted
Official text of the Children and Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act 1955 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from the UK Statute Law Database

The Children and Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act 1955 (c.28) is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom Parliament that prohibited comics that were thought to be harmful to children. The Act was introduced by the Home Secretary, Gwilym Lloyd George (a son of former prime minister David Lloyd George), in response to the publication of horror comics which had become popular by the 1950s.[1] This issue was drawn to the attention of Parliament by the National Union of Teachers and by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher.[2]

Contents

Provisions

Section 1 defined the kind of publication which the Act was intended to deal with. It applied to:

"...any book, magazine or other like work which is of a kind likely to fall into the hands of children or young persons and consists wholly or mainly of stories told in pictures (with or without the addition of written matter), being stories portraying—

(a) the commission of crimes; or
(b) acts of violence or cruelty; or
(c) incidents of a repulsive or horrible nature;
in such a way that the work as a whole would tend to corrupt a child or young person into whose hands it might fall."

"Child or young person" means someone aged under 18.

Section 2(1) made it a criminal offence in England and Wales and Scotland to print, publish, sell or let on hire such a comic, or to possess one for the purpose of selling or letting it. The offence is punishable by imprisonment for up to 4 months or a £1,000 fine (increased from £100 in 1975 (Scotland) and 1982 (England)).

The offence was originally triable before a jury.[3] However it is today a summary offence.

Section 2(2) requires the consent of the Attorney General to prosecute the offence in England and Wales.

Section 3 gives the courts the power to issue search warrants and to order forfeiture of harmful publications.

Section 4, the only section of the Act that applies to Northern Ireland, prohibits the importation of harmful publications into the United Kingdom. The prohibition also applies to "any plate prepared for the purpose of printing copies of any such work and any photographic film prepared for that purpose." Section 4 is the origin of the Royal Mail prohibition against mailing horror comics and the matrices used to print them.[4] To contravene the section is an offence under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, punishable with up to 7 years' imprisonment.

Section 5 includes "No provision of this Act, other than the provisions of the last foregoing section, shall extend to Northern Ireland." It also originally included a sunset clause under which the Act was to expire on 31 December 1965, unless Parliament decided otherwise. The Expiring Laws Act 1969 made the Act permanent.[5]

Prosecutions

There were no successful prosecutions under the Act until 1970, when there were two convictions.[6] The Attorney General refused to prosecute in 46 other cases between 1955 and 1982.[7]

References

  1. ^ Hansard, 22 Feb 1955
  2. ^ ibid.
  3. ^ Hansard, 22 Feb 1955: "The fact that the maximum term of imprisonment exceeds three months will automatically give to the accused person a right to elect for trial by jury." (Lloyd George.)
  4. ^ "Country Conditions for Mailing — Great Britain and Northern Ireland". International Mail Manual Issue 37. United States Postal Service. June 7, 2010 (with revisions through September 9, 2010). http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/fh_014.htm#ep3576772. Retrieved 2010-10-23. 
  5. ^ "Children And Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act 1955 (as Revised)". The National Archives. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/3-4/28#reference-c620679. Retrieved 2010-10-23. "S. 5(5) repealed by Expiring Laws Act 1969 (c. 61), s. 1" 
  6. ^ Hansard, 5 Dec 1974
  7. ^ Hansard, 22 Dec 1982

See also


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Obscene Publications Act 1959 — United Kingdom Parliament …   Wikipedia

  • List of Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom Parliament, 1940-1959 — This is an incomplete list of Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for the years 1940 1959. For acts passed prior to 1707 see List of Acts of Parliament of the English Parliament and List of Acts of Parliament of the Scottish… …   Wikipedia

  • Comics Campaign Council — The Comics Campaign Council was a British pressure group formed in 1953 in response to growing concern about the effects of imported American horror comics such as The Vault of Horror and The Haunt of Fear on British youths. At the time, the… …   Wikipedia

  • William Matthew Scott — Will Scott, 1925 Born William Matthew Scott 30 September 1893[1] Leeds, Yorkshire …   Wikipedia

  • Arguments for and against drug prohibition — Arguments about the prohibition of drugs, and over drug policy reform, are subjects of considerable controversy. The following is a presentation of major drug policy arguments, including those for drug law enforcement on one side of the debate,… …   Wikipedia

  • Lois indiennes — Liste des lois adoptées par les gouvernements successifs en Inde depuis 1836, c est à dire au cours des périodes sous les régimes de l Inde britannique et du gouvernement de la république indienne. Sommaire 1 1836–1850 2 1851–1875 3 1876–1900 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Liste de lois en Inde — Pour consulter un article plus général, voir : Droit en Inde. Liste des lois adoptées par les gouvernements successifs en Inde depuis 1836, c est à dire au cours des périodes sous les régimes de l Inde britannique et du gouvernement de la… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Mathematics and Physical Sciences — ▪ 2003 Introduction Mathematics       Mathematics in 2002 was marked by two discoveries in number theory. The first may have practical implications; the second satisfied a 150 year old curiosity.       Computer scientist Manindra Agrawal of the… …   Universalium

  • education — /ej oo kay sheuhn/, n. 1. the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life. 2. the act or process of… …   Universalium

  • china — /chuy neuh/, n. 1. a translucent ceramic material, biscuit fired at a high temperature, its glaze fired at a low temperature. 2. any porcelain ware. 3. plates, cups, saucers, etc., collectively. 4. figurines made of porcelain or ceramic material …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”