BBC News is running an article on the bill for "possession of extreme pornography". I was aware of this previously, having read about it in Bizarre, but I was unaware that this law has been passed.
Said law being under clause 64 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill.
This law is the outcome of the campaign by Liz Longhurst, the mother of murdered Jane Longhurst, for the banning of "extreme pornography". Jane Longhurst was killed by Graham Coutts after he had been frequently accessing websites promoting the use of violence and rape towards women.
What this law means is that the possession of pornographic materials deemed to be "violent and extreme" is now a criminal offence. The part that is causing controversy is that this covers "an act which threatens or
appears to threaten a person's life". This means that
fantasy materials, where the actors are engaging in consensual sex and simply acting, will also fall under this bill due to it
appearing that the actors life is being threatened. This means that pornographic materials such as rape fantasies and BDSM will be covered by this law, and possession of such materials will be deemed illegal.
This leads to extremely murky waters, couples are still allowed to engage in consensual sex acts such as rape fantasies and BDSM, but if they photograph themselves/video tape it for their own personal enjoyment, they are then in breech of this law. Lib Dem MP Baroness Miller has said of the act:
"The government is effectively walking into people's bedrooms and saying you can't do this. It's a form of thought police."
Obviously this has provoked outcries from those people whom engage in such consensual acts, and enjoy the use of these fantasy materials as aids to sexual intimacy.
What's the views on this then folk? Quite frankly I think this is none of the governments concerns, as the article is quoted as saying "you don't ban alcohol due to a few alcoholics". When people engage in these activities consensually, and watch
fantasy pornography I see no harm in that. Is this thought police? Is the government right to pass this, or have they just stepped into creating laws for our sex lifes?
Discuss.
