Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/219723
19 News maltatoday, SUNDAY, 1 DECEMBER 2013 PHOTOGRAPHY BY AUDREY LIENARD Herrera promises 'holistic' reform of censorship law TEODOR RELJIC HAVING declared his interest in doing away with "all forms" of censorship in the arts, Parliamentary Secretary for Culture Jose Herrera this week elaborated on the proposed reform which will see a more "liberalised" cultural scene on the island. Herrera said that the government will seek to ensure that 'exceptions' to morality laws come into play where the arts are concerned, while adding that a reform of censorship vis-à-vis written works will be worked upon at a later stage. While the prolonged public outcry to relax the censorship laws – which came with the worrying and some would say antiquated enforcement of obscenity laws – led to the previous administration to eventually take steps in this regard. The amendments transferred all laws regulating the classification of film and theatre productions from the Police to the Ministry for Culture. The move came in the wake of an often-torturous censorship debate which was sparked more than once on the island over the last couple of years, impacting more than just the theatrical scene. While those operating in the local cultural sphere appeared to welcome Herrera's intentions, some commented that Herrera failed to specify how these reforms will take place. Furthermore, some argued on social media, censorship reform so far appeared to be focused largely on theatre and film, with areas like literature never being given due consideration. Contacted for comment, Herrera said that certain proposed changes still need to be implemented in practice, and that as Parliamentary Secretary he was looking to implement a holistic overhaul which would take all the arts into consideration. "As parliamentary secretary responsible for culture I have committed myself from removing censorship on the arts. At the moment, the Commissioner of Police – in virtue of article 204 of the code of Police Laws – can suspend for a period of time theatrical performance in case of public morality. Furthermore certain performances if deemed running counter public morals can lead to public prosecutions under various existing laws," Herrera said, adding that his aim was to prevent the Police from being able to take such action. "The details will obviously be given at a later date after Cabinet approval," Herrera said. However, Herrera noted that the law may be able to step in if the performance in question breaches laws related to "the spreading of racial hatred or false rumours". Responding to the accusation that his proposed reforms weren't 'holistic' enough, Herrera cautioned against rushing to change laws wholesale. "In this area it is advisable to tread cautiously, and I see no reason why we should disturb the present legal framework which deals with morality crimes, but only create an exception with regards to art and culture." Censorship was something of a black mark on Malta's cultural scene since 2009, owing to the arrest of Mark Camilleri and Alex Vella Gera over the publication of Vella Gera's short story 'Li Tkisser Sewwi' in the University publication Realta – edited by Camilleri at the time – and the ban on Unifaun Theatre's attempt to stage Anthony Nielson's Stitching. Perhaps one of the more disturbing things to emerge from this was the realisation that obscenity laws Jose Herrera (left) alongside Finance Minister Edward Scicluna at a press conference announcing the Cinema Digitisation Scheme last Thursday are still legally in force in Malta, and that artists can be prosecuted under them. Commenting on this, Herrera said that, though in actual fact "the Commissioner may close down an exhibition on morality grounds in actual fact this provision has become a dead letter. "Therefore at this stage does not need to be readdressed in practical terms." Herrera added that the removal of censorship on written works will be tackled at a later stage, "since these require a seperate piece of legislation". This week, Herrera also announced the Cinema Digitisation Scheme, through which government will help local cinemas to convert their pro- jectors from analogue to digital, as per international requirements. The conversion – which became a necessity after Hollywood studios opted to no longer provide films on reel – led to the closure of Gozo's only cinema last March. "Speaking personally, I would find it quite tragic if the same happened to Malta. This is why we felt the need to intervene in this, as a government," Herrera said during a conference last Thursday, in which he also announced that, under the proposed Scheme, 1000 free tickets will be given to schools for cinema trips, and admission prices for the elderly will be reduced. Additional reporting by Jurgen Balzan.