Extreme Porn

The extreme porn provisions of the new Criminal Justice and Immigration Act in the UK, are overly broad, socially regressive, and typical of the kneejerk reaction one can expect in the wake of an unfortunate tragedy.

* DISCLAIMER * Please note, this is a work in progress, and not intended for review (just yet). I'm just experimenting with the editor, and using this to collect links/extracts which might be helpful. I'll remove this notice as soon as it is complete!

Five years ago Jane Longhurst, a teacher from Brighton, was murdered by Graham Coutts, a fan of websites such as "Club Dead" and "Rape Action"; which offered images of women being abused and violated. After he was finally jailed for life, her mother Liz began a campaign to ban the possession of such images in the UK. Last week, she succeeded.

Further Reading

Consultation on the Possession of Extreme Pornography, and the Government’s Response

"I’m not doing anything wrong," BBC News Magazine, Apr. 29 2008

Edward Gorman, Crown Prince of Bahrain bars Max Mosley over 'Nazi Prostitute' Claim, Apr. 3 2008

Liberty Response to the Home Office Consultation Paper on the Possession of Extreme Pornographic Material

Liberty's Second Reading Brief on the Bill in the House of Lords, Jan 2008

Liberty's Committee Stage Briefing on the Bill in the House of Commons, Oct 2007

Rabinder Singh QC’s Opinion on Legality of Home Office Proposals

Prisoner officers strikes

The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008

Legislative History of the Act

Chris Summers, When Does Kinky Porn Become Illegal?, BBC News, Apr. 28 2008

Backlash – Uphold the Human Rights Act (Opposition Group)

Hansard Online – Official Reports of Debates in the UK Parliament

EFF – Why the ACLU Opposes Censorship of Pornography

The Register – Lords Linger Over Extreme Porn Definition, May 5 2008

Tania Branigan, The Guardian, Violent Porn Ban a ‘Memorial To My Daughter’, Aug. 31 2006

R v. Brown (1994) 1 A.C. 212 (House of Lords holds 3:2 that consent was no defence to a charge of occasioning actual bodily harm)

Out-law.com, New Law Will Criminalise Possession of Extreme Porn, Feb. 7 2007)

Chris Summers, Extreme Porn Proposals Spark Row, BBC News, July 4 2007