Censorship in New Zealand

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Censorship in New Zealand has been present since around 1850 and is currently managed by the Classification Office under the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993.

Over the years, New Zealand has gone through many iterations of censorship legislation. What began in the 1850s as vague and weak legislation was repeatedly updated with each iteration of censorship legislation addressing perceived shortcomings of the previous legislation.[1] Notable changes in New Zealand censorship legislation include the continued attempts to give an objective criterion for determining whether something should be censored[1][2][3] and the establishment of a centralized body that handles most censorship matters.[4] These iterations adapted New Zealand legislation to changing times, and moved censorship in New Zealand in a more liberal direction.[2]

The Classification Office is the government agency that is currently responsible for classification of all films, videos, publications, and some video games in New Zealand. It was created by the aforementioned Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993 and is an independent Crown entity.[5] The head of the Office is called the Chief Censor, maintaining a title that has described the government officer in charge of censorship in New Zealand since 1916.[3]: 30 [6]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :7 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Indecent Publications Act 1963 (1963 No 22)". nzlii.org. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  5. ^ "Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993 No 94 (as at 05 December 2017), Public Act Contents – New Zealand Legislation". legislation.govt.nz. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  6. ^ "About the Classification Office : About NZ Classification : OFLC". classificationoffice.govt.nz. Retrieved 6 December 2018.