A PLAN to limit the right to view certain kinds of pornography has been changed, to the delight of Leyton MP Harry Cohen.
The Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill (CJB), which is currently being discussed in the House of Lords, lays down a maximum three year prison sentence for creating or owning extreme pornographic images.
"You can clearly show in court that it is ritualistic rather than realistic violence"
Harry Cohen
Created in response to the murder of teacher Jane Longhurst, whose killer was obsessed with websites devoted to snuff movies and necrophilia, the Bill is intended to limit British people's access to similar extreme or horrific images.
But Mr Cohen, along with pressure group Backlash and charities Liberty and Amnesty International, said the proposed law would punish people for making or owning their own electronic film or images of consensual Bondage Discipline and S&M sexual acts (BDSM).
As a member of the Commons' committee which examined the Bill, he said a key problem was that its wording did not distinguish between real acts and those which were simulated, or even computer-generated.
The Bill now says that only images which are "explicit or realistic" and "grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character" are included.
Mr Cohen said he thought the change a big success that would save tens of thousands of people from prosecution.
"My own view is that people involved in BDSM will not now be prosecuted. You can clearly show in court that it is ritualistic rather than realistic violence.
"I don't think many MPs would have taken up that issue and it would be a law and a bad law. People would have been made criminals who shouldn't have been."
But the Bill still attracted cross-party criticism during a Lords debate last week, with some Lords calling for proof that it was needed. Deborah Hyde from campaign group Backlash said nothing had changed except the wording of the Bill was now "impossible" and could not be understood even by lawyers.
"The amendments are just point scoring between the political parties and don't actually change anything for the man or woman on the street. How is anybody supposed to look at such a law and decide if a picture is illegal or not? "The Lords who discussed the amendments didn't seem any more convinced than I am."
The Government aims to make the Bill law by May 9.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article