CENSORSHIP OF PUBLICATIONS ACT, 1967

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE EXPIRATION OF CERTAIN PROHIBITION ORDERS UNDER THE CENSORSHIP OF PUBLICATIONS ACTS, 1929 AND 1946, AND TO REMOVE THE TIME LIMIT IMPOSED BY THE LAST-MENTIONED ACT IN RESPECT OF CERTAIN APPEALS TO THE CENSORSHIP OF PUBLICATIONS APPEAL BOARD. [11th July, 1967.]

BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:—

1 Definitions.

1.—In this Act—

“the Act of 1946” means the Censorship of Publications Act, 1946;

“the Appeal Board” and “book” have the meanings respectively assigned to them by section 1 of the Act of 1946;

“prohibition order” means an order under section 6 of the Censorship of Publications Act, 1929, or section 7 of the Act of 1946.

2 Expiration of certain prohibition orders.

2.—(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), a prohibition order made on the ground that a book is indecent or obscene shall cease to have effect on the 31st day of December following the expiration of the period of twelve years beginning on the date on which the order takes effect unless it is sooner revoked by the Appeal Board under section 8 of the Act of 1946.

• (2) A prohibition order of the kind mentioned in subsection (1) made more than twelve years before the date of the passing of this Act shall expire on the seventh day after that date unless it is sooner revoked by the Appeal Board under the said section 8.

• (3) In any case where two or more prohibition orders of the kind mentioned in subsection (1) are in force in respect of a book (whether the book is referred to by the same title in all the prohibition orders or otherwise), each of the orders shall cease to have effect on the date on which, by virtue of this section, the order first made ceases to have effect.

3 Power to make certain further prohibition orders.

3.—(1) The Censorship of Publications Board may, under section 7 of the Act of 1946, make a further prohibition order in respect of any book in respect of which a prohibition order has ceased or will cease to have effect by virtue of section 2 of this Act.

• (2) Where the further prohibition order referred to in subsection (1) is made before the date on which a previous prohibition order in respect of the book to which it relates ceases, by virtue of section 2, to have effect, the further prohibition order shall have effect on and from such day (being a day not earlier than that on which the previous prohibition order so ceases to have effect) on which, in accordance with section 13 of the Act of 1946, it is published in the Iris Oifigiúil.

4 Partial repeal of section 8 of Act of 1946.

4.—In section 8 of the Act of 1946 the words in subsection (1) from “at any time” to the end of that subsection are hereby repealed.

5 Short title and collective citation.

5.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Censorship of Publications Act, 1967.

• (2) The Censorship of Publications Acts, 1929 and 1946, and this Act may be cited together as the Censorship of Publications Acts, 1929 to 1967.