JUST ABOUT HERE – first stage of reforms to National Classification System

The first stage of reforms to the National Classification System is finally here (just about)!

The issue of reform to Australia’s National Classification System has been a hot topic since 2011. After the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) completed an inquiry in 2012, and the Government announced the introduction of the first stages of reform in April 2013, the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Amendment (Classification Tools and Other Measures) Bill 2014 (the Bill) was finally introduced to Parliament and passed through the House of Representatives in March 2014.

On 27 March 2014, the Senate referred the Bill to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislative Committee for further inquiry and report.  The Senate Committee is due to report to the Senate by 19 June 2014.

Arts Law strongly supports the modernisation of Australia’s classification system in order to better accommodate the way content is consumed. It is important that artists are able to communicate their work as widely and freely as possible to enable them to make a living.  As such, when the Senate Committee called for public comment on the Bill, Arts Law provided a submission supporting this first tranche of amendments to the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995 (Cth).  Arts Law’s submission can be viewed on the Parliament of Australia website (submission no. 17).

It is expected that the Bill will pass through the Senate after the Senate Committee report.  There are, however, still further stages to the reform process to be implemented by the Government and Arts Law looks forward to the introduction of these reforms (hopefully) in the near future!

More information:

Information regarding the introduction of the first stage of reforms can be viewed here.

The ALRC’s final report and Arts Law’s submission to the ALRC review can be viewed here.