Introduction
Cinema
The British Board of Film
Classification is
an independent, non-governmental body, which has
classified cinema
films since 1913, and video since 1985.
The Board was set up by the film industry in
order to bring a degree of uniformity to the classification of films
nationally.
Statutory powers on film remain with the
local
councils, which may overrule any of the Board's decisions, passing
films we reject, banning films we have passed, and even waiving cuts,
instituting new ones, or altering categories for films exhibited under
their own licensing jurisdiction.
Video
In 1984 Parliament passed the Video
Recordings
Act. This act stated that, subject to certain exemptions, video
recordings offered for sale or hire commercially in the UK must be
classified by an authority designated by the Secretary of
State.
The President and Vice Presidents of the BBFC were so
designated,
and charged with applying the new test of 'suitability for viewing in
the home'. At this point the Board's title was changed to British Board
of Film Classification to reflect the fact that classification plays a
far larger part in the Board's work than censorship.
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