Singapore legislation

Section 4

of Undesirable Publications Act 1967

Section 4

Meaning of objectionable

(1)

For the purposes of this Act, a publication is objectionable if, in the opinion of any controller, it or (where the publication comprises 2 or more distinct parts or items) any one of its parts or items describes, depicts, expresses or otherwise deals with —

(a)

matters such as sex, horror, crime, cruelty, violence or the consumption of drugs or other intoxicating substances in such a manner that the availability of the publication is likely to be injurious to the public good; or

(b)

matters of race or religion in such a manner that the availability of the publication is likely to cause feelings of enmity, hatred, ill will or hostility between different racial or religious groups.

(2)

In determining for the purposes of this Act whether or not any publication is objectionable, the following matters shall be considered:

(a)

the extent and degree to which, and the manner in which, the publication —

(i)

describes, depicts or otherwise deals with acts of torture, the infliction of serious physical harm, sexual conduct or violence or coercion in association with sexual conduct;

(ii)

exploits the nudity of persons or children or both;

(iii)

promotes or encourages criminal acts or acts of terrorism;

(iv)

represents, directly or indirectly, that members of any particular community or group are inherently inferior to other members of the public or of any other community or group;

(b)

the impact of the medium in which the publication is presented;

(c)

the character of the publication, including any merit, value or importance that the publication has in relation to literary, artistic, social, cultural, educational, scientific or other matters;

(d)

the standards of morality, decency and propriety that are generally accepted by reasonable members of the community;

(e)

the persons, classes of persons or age groups of the persons to whom the publication is intended or is likely to be made available.

(3)

The question whether or not a publication is objectionable is a matter for the expert judgment of any person authorised or required by or pursuant to this Act to determine it, and evidence as to or proof of any of the matters or particulars that the person is required to consider in determining that question is not essential to its determination except that if such evidence or proof of such matters or particulars is available, that person shall take that evidence or proof into consideration.

(4)

The Chief Controller shall keep and maintain a Register of Objectionable Publications containing all publications which any controller determines to be objectionable.

Read in full context — Undesirable Publications Act 1967 →