| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act to make fresh provision with respect to the public display of indecent matter; and for purposes connected therewith. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 1981 c. 42 |
| Territorial extent | England, Scotland, Wales |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 27 July 1981 |
| Commencement | 27 October 1981 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repeals/revokes | |
Status: Amended | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
The Indecent Displays (Control) Act is an Act of Parliament covering Scotland, England and Wales but not Northern Ireland. It is concerned with preventing the display of “indecent” material to the unsuspecting public. As with the Protection of Children Act, the Act does not define indecency, although it does give some directions as to how a display can be considered indecent. It establishes that “If any indecent matter is publicly displayed the person making the display and any person causing or permitting the display to be made shall be guilty of an offence”, making exceptions for the following:
- material that is in a shop behind a warning notice (intended to protect sex shops for adults who wished to use them)
- anything for a paying adult audience only
- cinemas, theatres, and broadcasting, which are regulated separately
- displays by "the Crown or any local authority"
- museums and art galleries
- the actual human body, which is again subject to other controls
The maximum sentence under the Act for making an indecent display is two years imprisonment. Various older pieces of legislation dealing with similar matters were repealed by the Act, but it was directed that other legislation in Scotland was to remain in force alongside it, including provisions that later became part of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.