As the Commons returns, the first item on the agenda is the government's plan to ban violent porn - it should be the first proposal kicked out.

From the Guardian see full article by Frank Fisher

 
The Libertarian Alliance joins the denunciation of war on “violent” pornography

Press release from the Libertarian Alliance see full article

The Libertarian Alliance joins the denunciation of war on “violent” pornography

With the full support of the Libertarian Alliance, Backlash’s Deborah Hyde argued that anti-porn laws ignore the evidence about the use and impact of pornography, infantilise women and bring legal systems into disrepute.

As part of the debate at Trinity College Law Society in Dublin, Ms Hyde criticised the British Government’s new Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill. This seeks to criminalise the possession of so-called and vaguely defined “extreme pornography”.

When a government says there is no evidence a new law is needed, when there is no evidence of harm and when the purpose of the law is to tell MPs it’s OK to impose their own personal morality on the population, we need to be worried,

She added that the main proponents of current proposals use incendiary language and unproven, anecdotal evidence to try to justify the law. This language also denigrates law-abiding citizens who are harming no-one, limits their freedom and stigmatises their sexuality - all despite there being no evidence of harm to others.

Sean Gabb, Director of the Libertarian Alliance, says:

It is no business of the authorities in a free country to police the imagination. If these proposals become law, they will be another weapon in the arsenal of the police state built up in this country since 1979. We stand wholeheartedly with Deborah Hyde and everyone in Backlash to oppose them.

The Libertarian Alliance believes:

• That what consenting adults do with each other on their own property is their own business
• That if these consenting adults wish to publish any of this to other consenting adults, that also is their own business
• That there should be no laws against the possession of any text or image, such laws being against the historic Constitution of England and being an excuse for an already corrupt police force to fabricate evidence
• That the one legitimate function of the criminal justice system is to protect life and property.

 
'Public morals' don't seem to have got any more liberal since Allen Ginsberg was tried for offending them 50 years ago.

From the Guardian see full article by Shirley Dent

 
Ministry of Injustice commission research 'evidence' from feminists

From the Ministry of Injustice see report

The Ministry of Injustice have posted a research paper presented as evidence of harm to adults relating to exposure to extreme pornographic material

It is written by the feminists of the porn is violence industry, Catherine Itzin, Professor  at Lincoln University; Professor Ann Taket, London South Bank University, UK and Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia; and Liz Kelly, London Metropolitan University.

This document reports on a rapid evidence assessment (REA) of the evidence of harm relating to exposure to extreme pornographic material (EPM). EPM was defined as 'actual scenes or realistic depictions of: explicit intercourse or oral sex with an animal, explicit sexual interference with a human corpse, explicit serious violence in a sexual context and explicit serious sexual violence'. The REA addressed three research questions:

1. What effects does viewing EPM have on those adults who access it?
2. In particular is there any evidence that it causes or contributes to sexual or violent offending?
3. Is there any evidence that those adults who participate in making EPM are harmed by their involvement?

Comment: Fatuous

From Teddy on SeeNoEvil

Even by the standards of the "Justice Ministry", this is a pretty fatuous effort. I'm really scared by the sheer authoritarianism of it all...

So they've taken 3 academics, whom they know support this legislation, and asked them to present their own account of the available research on the subject, framed around yet more perjorative and loaded premises. It is basically a tendentious rant. Might be worth asking the MoJ if they intend to allow the likes of Prof Petley and Drs Barker and Matthis to contribute to this sudden desire to produce evidence based legislation!

Comment: Timing

From Alan

Note how the government get their purported "evidence" just days before the intended second reading, giving no time for other academics to give it a bloody good kicking.

 
Both the government and their commissioned extreme porn report are unbalanced

From Phantom on The Melon Farmers Forumt

Well, as we all know the government have published a ‘scientific’ report on the harmful effects of what it likes to label extreme pornography.

I did a bit of reading.

Frankly, the report is a disgrace.

Supposedly it includes an analysis of 5 previous analyses (so-called meta-analyses) and covers a total of 156 previous studies.

3 of the 5 analyses were co-authored by a scientist called Allen. That’s 60%.

102 of the 156 studies covered were penned entirely or co-authored by Allen. That’s 66%.
Balance?

Other studies were discounted for not fitting this analysis methodology or achieving non-significant results (which would be equivalent to a nil finding, i.e. no-effect.)

But now, here’s for balance. Of the 156 studies covered in this analysis only 5 were selected which actually concluded that pornography had no harmful effect. The other 151 selected were such which concluded that pornography was harmful. So a ‘balance’ of 97% to 3%.

The outcome of the report was therefore never in doubt.

The analyses was commissioned (i.e. paid for) by the Home Office.

One of the three authors of the report I believe is a feminist anti-porn campaigner.

It appears one made sure one had the right personnel write it, to assure the result one desired. Better yet, the authors then selected only material which backed the favoured assumption.

Choosing effectively two thirds of their material to be the product (or part product) of one person’s research and choosing to the scale of 97% studies which resulted in conclusions they favoured. It would be a joke, were it not so serious.

All the above one attempts to hide behind jargon and a dazzling flurry of quotations. But if you read through it, the flaws are glaringly obvious. However, what MP would do that? Who’d even have the time?

No doubt this ‘meta-analysis’ is now going to be banded about by the Home Office as conclusive scientific proof that ‘extreme pornography’ needs banning. [Surely a corruption of the available evidence]

 
Government commissioned 'evidence' from supporters of the proposed law

Based on a discussion on SeeNoEvil

Two out of the three contributors to the 'expert' research commissioned by the Ministry of Justice have turned out to be anything but impartial.

From www.libertarian.co.uk/lapubs/lapam/lapam022.pdf

Catherine Itzin, a founder of the Campaign Against Pornography and Censorship, supports legislation of the sort that has been promoted in the United States by Andrea Dworkin and Catharine MacKinnon, leading figures in the pornography debates.

The Dworkin-MacKinnon law begins by redefining pornography, Itzin says, as ‘a practice of sex discrimination which sexualizes the subordination of women and which eroticizes violence against women: as ‘a political practice of power and powerlessness’ which ‘eroticizes dominance and submission’.

In an effort to remove First Amendment protections from pornography as so defined, the law is called ‘civil rights legislation’, specifies that pornography does actual harm, and offers ‘victims of pornography’ the right to sue the producers of sexual materials.

Another author, Liz Kelly, is credited in the report as Roddick Chair of Violence Against Women and Director of Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit, London Metropolitan University. The Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit contributed to the Home Office consultation in support of the proposed law.

Furthermore, the Lilith Project submitted a particularly aggressive response and wrote that the list of restricted pornographic material [with a penalty of 3 years in prison for simple possession] should be expanded from the proposed list to also include:

• Any material which has scenes of sexual violence, not just those which are deemed to be showing ‘serious’ sexual violence
• Any material which shows women’s bodies being abused in any way
• Any material which is hostile to women by showing them in passive roles in sexual activity or being dominated
• Any material which features naked women for the sole purpose of sexual gratification (and therefore not, for example, for educational or anatomical purposes

The Lilith Project responded on behalf of the Women’s National Commission who are actually the government’s independent advisory body on women’s issues. It has a Violence Against Women working group, which in turn has a Sexual Violence sub-group, whose chair turns out to be Professor Liz Kelly.

 
Bestiality most troublesome

A dreadful sounding case, but it worrisome to note that the judge thought that violent, presumably staged, adult porn and bestiality was most troublesome than the child porn.

From the BBC see full article

An paedophile with a huge collection of pornography including "violent" images of child abuse has been jailed and must serve at least three and half years.

At Cambridge Crown Court he admitted possession of more than 51,000 indecent photos and 137 videos of children. He was caught exposing himself to a police officer posing as a young girl.

His huge collection of adult pornography also included so-called "snuff movies" and videos of bestiality.

Judge Gareth Hawkesworth said: Most troubling is the extreme violence and the sexual images of violent death of women and of bestiality: If ever there was a case that demonstrates the corrosive effects of porn this is it.

 
Worthless impact assessment

Customs are not mentioned. Presumably Her Majesty's Car Thieves won't make do with a seizure when the offence is serious enough to warrant 3 years in prison. And no assessment of the costs of destroying families and careers

From Phantom on The Melon Farmers Forum
See also Regulatory Impact Assessment

Frankly, I despair. Just read the Regulatory Impact Assessment on this legislative garbage.

The report acknowledges the consultation result but immediately counters with the Longhurst petition. As though it had anything to do with this law! The petition predated this legislation. It was not in support of the proposal, as the proposal didn’t exist at the time. They even pretend that the threshold was increased from serious violence (GBH) to life threatening or likely to cause serious injury. As though the ‘appearance’ of a ‘likeliness’ of something was a high threshold!

This RIA identifies that there will be a risk of a need for increased enforcement activity for all UK enforcement agencies and the courts, but the circulation of extreme pornographic material should be inhibited.

Most possible impact is assessed as low by default as publication ‘is already illegal’. Of course the latter is hogwash, but hey, if your premise is sufficiently biased, your conclusions will fit the bill, right?

So what is the impact on sentencing likely to be?

6 community sentences! (at a total of £19,800 annually) and ten short term custodial sentences. That’s it? Seriously?

We are introducing human rights breaching legislation so we can issue 6 community and ten custodial sentences annually? Oh, don’t make me laugh!

Police Costs £10,890
CPS cost £65,192
Legal Aid Cost £127,935
Courts £200,220

If we are only expecting this tiny effect, why is the maximum penalty up to 3 years on jail? This is nonsense.

10 custodial sentences up to 6 months, total 5 prison places in their own words (so about £275000). So an estimated 14 police cautions (no court involvement), 6 community sentences and 10 six month sentences. Total cost they list £404,037 & prison cost ca. £275,000 = Total £699,037

Add to that their estimated annual 2.4 additional prison cell use for the increase of the OPA, which has only become necessary due to the introduction of this nonsense. (another £132,000)

Ok, is there anyone on this planet who thinks that is money well spent?

Given their own cost-effect ratio the cost could be astronomical. Once the initial precedents are set down I’d expect much more than a dozen convicted. Especially at first when many are caught out by ludicrous legislation which deems material simultaneously legal and illegal. Let’s face it this thing could snare hundreds. Well, you can then work out the costs for yourselves.

Quite frankly, the report’s not worth the paper it’s written on. Signed off by Gerry Sutcliffe MP, who states he believes the benefits justify the costs.

What benefits?

Forgive them their trespasses... then lock them up for 3 years

 
Beyer repeats call to lock up all porn viewers

Thanks to Dan
Based on an article from Catholic Times

John Beyer has warned that Government plans to deal with the most violent and extreme pornography do not go far enough’

John Beyer of mediawatch-uk said legislation in the pipeline would not include a lot of R18 material.

Government plans to outlaw the possession of extreme pornography will be debated in Parliament in October when the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill gets a Second Reading.

We believe that most people would like to see a general clean up and the government acting to eradicate pornography altogether, said Beyer: Legislation ought to be extended to include material currently classified R18 by the British Board of Film Classification which many would regard as extreme.

Comment: Extreme Inanity

From Dan

A Banning "violent" porn doesn't go far enough. We need to ban anything and everything with the slightest whiff of sex in it and lock those who look at it up for three years. FOR THE GOOD OF SOCIETY! Yes yes we've heard it all before Mr Beyer!

We believe that most people would like to see a general clean up and the government acting to eradicate pornography altogether.

For "most people" read right-wing Daily Mail reading middle England who want the government to snoop into the private bedroom activities of the adult population of this country.

It's doubtful that most people would want to see law abiding people thrown in jail merely for watching consensual simulated sex because a few people find it "grubby".

The bill makes it an offence to possess images which threaten or appear to threaten a person’s life, acts which result in or appear to result in serious injury... ie most Hollywood movies

David Hanson extends bill to Hollywood movies

From David Hanson's Website

Delyn MP David Hanson has welcomed new measures set out in the Government’s new Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill to make it an offence to possess extreme pornographic images.

The bill makes it an offence to possess images which threaten or appear to threaten a person’s life, acts which result in or appear to result in serious injury, bestiality or necrophilia. The bill also provides for the exclusion of classified films and increases the maximum penalty for publication of obscene material and for the possession of such material for gain.

David Hanson said:

I know that these new powers will be widely welcomed by my constituents as it gives more powers to take action against those in possession of extreme pornographic material.

I will be working hard to ensure these powers come into force at the nearest possible opportunity.

Registered Rights Abuser Fucked innocent people and falsely imprisoned them

Let's invent more

From The Times see full article

Known sex offenders are living unchecked in the community because there are too many of them to be monitored regularly, according to research commissioned by the Home Office.

The rapidly growing number of people registered as violent criminals or sex attackers is threatening to overwhelm the police, probation officers and social workers who have to keep them under supervision.

The new study identified three key areas of concern:

• A “severe shortage” of approved accommodation for offenders
• “Insufficient” treatment programmes and lengthy waiting times for them where they do exist
• A lack of public funds to deal with the increasing caseload of offenders.

Figures published this year under the Freedom of Information Act disclosed that police forces had lost track of 322 registered sex offenders.

The mismatch between the number of offenders and the level of resources available to keep track of them was disclosed as ministers discussed plans to expand the monitoring of sex offenders still further. ITV News reported that it had obtained a leaked Home Office paper outlining plans to clamp down on websites that failed to protect children online.

The number of people on the sex offenders register in 2005-06 was 29,973, a 4% increase on the figure for the previous year. In the same year there were 14,317 violent offenders who were supposed to be subject to regular supervision, a rise of 13% on the 12 months before. Another 3,363 offenders were deemed to require supervision after sentencing or after release from prison.

The number of offenders required to register is certain to increase, with ministers widening the scope of the sex offenders register to include more sexually motivated crimes.

In December several offences were added to the watchlist - including outraging public decency, theft, burglary with intent, child abduction and harassment where it could be proved that the crime was sexually motivated.

 
Church mark 40th anniversary of Sexual Offences Act 1967

Thanks to Alan

Can the bishops be persuaded to vote against the Dangerous Pictures Act in the Housel of Lords?

From Church Times see full article

There is value in marking the 40th anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act 1967, which was brought about with the votes of a number of bishops in the Lords, including the Archbishop of Canterbury of the day, and with the support of many — though, of course, not all — churchpeople.

The distinction made by the Wolfenden committee in 1957 between matters involving immorality and those implying criminality has proved so useful that there are few people today, whatever their views on sex, who would not regard the abolition of the old punitive legislation as other than a victory for justice, compassion, and common sense.

The principle of restricting the matters treated as criminal is still relevant in a world of ASBOs, smoking bans, and the EU. Wolfenden, in great demand as a committee man, was a churchman, involved in the early days of the Board for Social Responsibility. His example of the thoughtful and open-minded application of Christian precepts in national affairs is one to follow.

Martin Salter Bansturbator!

 
What do you call it when people ban everything

From The Times see full article by Tim Worstall

One candidate is the verb “to bansturbate” (origin, Harry Haddock at nationofshopkeepers.wordpress.com). The word – a fusion of “ban” and the term for self-abuse – refers to both the public abuse of the rights of the citizenry as things that some people simply disapprove of are made illegal, and the near-sexual frisson of pleasure gained by those who pass such laws.

Much of the urge to ban is driven, just like Puritanism, by the fear that some people, somewhere, may be enjoying themselves; the rest by the terror of politicians and bureaucrats who fear that if they don’t do something, anything, we might begin to wonder why we pay them.

And once we’ve started down the path of pleasurable “bansturbating” kinkiness, then ever greater doses must be consumed to maintain the effect.

Realistic depiction of government torture

From The Guardian see full article

Britain launched an attempt at the European court of human rights yesterday to overturn an 11-year-old judgment by the court which bans the deportation of suspected terrorists to countries where they face a risk of torture or degrading treatment.

The government has been trying for two years to find a way of challenging the Strasbourg court's judgment in the 1996 Chahal case, which has frustrated its attempts to expel suspects to such countries as Tunisia and Algeria.

Comment from Alan

The government that wants to throw people in jail for having videos or images of actors engaged in staged torture scenes also wants to send other people off to be tortured for real.

How low can they sink?