The New Sex Crimes: Electronic Obscenity + Censorship

The New Sex Crimes is a double bill of talks takes a critical look at the emerging relationship between the internet, sexuality and the law.

The UK Government is currently pushing ahead with plans to criminalise the possession of 'extreme pornography'. This new law has been proposed as a supplement to existing obscenity laws, as a way of keeping up with new developments in information technology.

The proposed changes would dramatically alter obscenity law: the result is likely to have far-reaching and unexpected consequences for artists and filmmakers of all kinds and the institutions which fund them. A panel discusses the implications of the proposed law for contemporary artistic practice.

Speakers include Professor Julian Petley, chair of the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom and author of Censoring the Word, Feona Attwood, principal lecturer in media at Sheffield Hallam University, Deborah Hyde, Backlash, Dr Clarissa Smith, author, One for the Girls! The Pleasures and Practices of Reading Women's Porn and Mark McGowan, artist.

Please note: There has been a change in the line-up of speakers for this talk. Originally scheduled speakers Adeola Agdebiyi and Hammad Khan, from the British Board of Film Classification, have withdrawn because they felt that, as the legislation being discussed in this talk (part of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill) is currently before Parliament, it is not appropriate for the BBFC to comment about it.