Cinema and Stage (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations, 2000

L.N. 126 of 2000

CODE OF POLICE LAWS

(CAP. 10)

Cinema and Stage (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations, 2000

IN exercise of the powers conferred by article 203 of the Code

of Police Laws, the Minister for Home Affairs has made the following

regulations:-

The title of these regulations is the Cinema and Stage

(Amendment) (No.2) Regulations, 2000, and shall be read and construed

as one with the Cinema and Stage Regulations, 1937, hereinafter referred

to as "the principal regulations".

In the principal regulations, including the marginal notes

thereof, wherever the word "censor" occurs, there shall be substituted

the word "classifier", and wherever the word "censors" occurs, there

shall be substituted the word "classifiers", and wherever the word

"censorship" occurs, there shall be substituted the word "classification"

Regulation 42 of the principal regulations shall be amended

as follows

(a) by the substitution for paragraph (1) thereof, of the

following paragraph:-

42. (1) There shall be a board, to be called the

"Board of

~=eand Board of Film and Stage Classification, hereinafter

Classifiauion'referred to as the "Board", which shall consist of a

chairperson and such number of other members, being

not less than five and not more than fifteen, as shall be

appointed annually by the Minister responsible for the

Police, and shall exercise and perform the functions

assigned to it by these regulations.";

(b) by renumbering the present paragraphs (2), (3), (4), (5)

and (6) thereof as paragraphs (3), (4), (5), (6) and (7) respectively

and by the addition of the following new paragraph (2):-

It shall be the function of the Board to classify

"(2)

films and stage productions on the basis of guidelines to be

drawn up by the Board based on the following main criteria:-

(a) the standards of morality, decency and

propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults, and

the literary, artistic or educational merit, if any,

(b)

of the production, and

(c) the general character of the production

including whether it is of medical, legal or scientific

character, and

(d) the persons or class of persons to whom it is

intended or by whom the production is likely to be

viewed."; and

(c) by the substitution in paragraph (4) as renumbered

thereof of the word "censored" by the word "classified".

In the marginal note of regulation 43 of the principal Amends ~

regulations for the word "Censoring" there shall be substituted the word :~fo~=~

"Classification".

regulations.

Regulation 45 of the principal regulations shall be substituted ~::~~~n

by the following:-

regulations.

45. The examining classifiers shall report to the

Commissioner of Police on the application form whether

having regard, in their discretion, to public morality, decency

or propriety, or to the public interest, the film to which the

application refers mayor may not be passed for exhibition

with or without any suppressed parts, and shall classify such

film into one of the following five categories, namely

'u' - UNIVERSAL. Suitable for all.

(i)

'PG' - PARENTAL GUIDANCE. Some

(ii)

scenes are unsuitable for young children and the guidance

of parents or guardians is deemed necessary.

(iii) '12' - Suitable only for persons of twelve

years and over.

(iv) '16' - Suitable only for persons of sixteen

years and over.

(v) '18' - Suitable only for persons of eighteen

years and over.".

Regulation 47 of the principal regulations shall be amended

as follows:-

(a) paragraph (1) thereof shall be substituted by the

following

47. (1) Where the examining classifiers have

"Review of

decision of

reported that a film-

examining

classifiers.

(a) is fit for exhibition in any of the categories

specified in regulation 45, with or without suppressed

parts; or

(b) is not fit for exhibition in any category

specified in regulation 45,

the person who has applied for the examination of the film

may, if he feels aggrieved by the decision, within ten days

thereof, apply in writing to the chairperson of the Board for a

review of such decision."; and

(b) in paragraphs (4) and (5) thereoffor the word "chainnan"

wherever it occurs there shall be substituted the word "chairperson".

For regulation 50 of the principal regulations there shall be

substituted the following:-

50. Whenever a particular film is classified under any

of the categories specified in regulation 45, no persons below

the age specified in any particular category thereof shall be

admitted to the exhibition of that film and in each such case

the notice referred to in regulation 49 shall include an

intimation to the effect that such persons are not allowed

admission to the exhibition of that film. Furthennore in each

such case an intimation to the same effect set out in large

type shall be affixed at the entrance of the premises." .

For regulation 51 of the principal regulations there shall be

substituted the following:-

51. (1) The films which may be shown in the same

programme as the category of main feature films indicated in

the First Column below shall be of the category or categories

stated in the Second Column below, and it shall be an offence

to exhibit, with such main feature films, any film, not being

an advertising film passed by the Board, classified in a

different category.

First Column

Second Column

Main feature

OtherfLlms

U

U

PG

PGand U

12, PG and U

16, 12,PG and U

18, 12, PG and U.

Where in the case of a double feature, this comprises

an 18 category mm and a film in any other category, the 18

category film shall be deemed to be the main feature mm,

and where it comprises a 16 category film and a 12 or PG or

U category mm, the 16 category mm shall be deemed to be

the main feature mm, and where it comprises a 12 category

mm and a PG or U category film, the 12 category film shall

be deemed to be the main feature mm, and where it comprises

a PG category mm and a U category film, the PG category

film shall be deemed to be the main feature mm.

(2) Whenever a cinema programme comprises

even a single mm classed as fit only for a certain category of

persons in accordance with regulation 45, no other person

below the age specified under that particular category shall

be admitted to see any part of that programme.".

In regulation 52 of the principal regulations for the words ~f':=~~n

"child or an adolescent" and "child or adolescent" there shall be regulations.

substituted in each case the word "person" and for the words "eighteen

years of age" there shall be substituted the words "the age in the specified

category".

In regulation 53 of the principal regulations the words "of ~::=~~

sixteen years or upwards" shall be deleted.

regulations.

For regulation 54 of the principal regulations there shall be SUbsti~tion of

h fi 11 owmg:-

d teo

.

regulation 54 of the

su b stltute

principal

regulations .

54. The licensee shall insert on every poster and

"Exhibition

of poster.

advertisement exhibited to the public one of the following

five notices, as the case may be, in block letters

TEXT NOTICES FOR CINEMA AND THEATRE

PREMISES

U certificate

Persons of all ages admitted

PG certificate

-

Persons of all ages admitted but

very young children to be

accompanied by parents or

guardians

12 certificate

Persons of 12 years and over

admitted

16 certificate

Persons of 16 years and over

admitted

18 certificate

Persons of 18 years and over

admitted."

For paragraph (1) ofregulation 57 of the principal regulations

there shall be substituted the following:-

"( 1) The licensee of a cinema or a theatre shall at every

performance reserve, free of charge, two stalls in the pit for any

classifier to view the film or stage production. The Commissioner

of Police shall issue to each classifier a pass indicating the

classifier's name, which pass shall not be transferable to any other

person.".

In paragraph ( 1 ) of regulation 60 of the principal regulations

for the words "Prime Minister" there shall be substituted the words

"Minister responsible for the Police ..

Regulation 64 of the principal regulations shall be amended

as follows:-

(a)

by the deletion of paragraph (2) thereof; and

(b)

by renumbering paragraph (3) thereof as paragraph (2).