Commonwealth Numbered Regulations - Explanatory Statements

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CLASSIFICATION (PUBLICATIONS, FILMS AND COMPUTER GAMES) REGULATIONS(AMENDMENT) 1996 NO. 331

STATUTORY RULES 1996 No. 331

Issued by the authority of the Attorney-General

Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995

Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Regulations (Amendment)

Section 93 of the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995 (the Act) provides, among other matters, that the Governor-General may make regulations prescribing matters permitted by the Act to be prescribed.

The Act is the Commonwealth's contribution to a new Commonwealth, State and Territory cooperative scheme for the classification of publications, films and computer games.

The Act establishes the Classification Board (the Board) and the Classification Review Board (the Review Board) and sets out procedures for classification. Under the scheme, State and Territory legislation adopts in enforcement laws, classification decisions made under the Act.

State and Territory legislation requires that notices about the classifications for films, videos and computer games are displayed at retail, hire and exhibition premises. State and Territory legislation also requires such notices to be in a form approved by the Director of the Classification Board.

The purpose of the Regulations is to prescribe certain provisions in State and Territory classification enforcement legislation to enable the Director to approve notices for the display of classifications for films, videos and computer games.

Section 53 of the Act enables the Director to exercise powers that are conferred on him by, among other things, a provision of a law of a State or Territory that is prescribed.

Details of the Regulations are as follows:

Regulation 1: provides that the Classification (Publication, Films and Computer Games) Regulations are amended as set out in these Regulations.

Regulation 2: provides that, for subparagraph 53(b)(iii) of the Act, the Director of the Classification Board may exercise powers conferred on him by the cited provisions in State and Territory classification enforcement legislation which relate to the display of approved notices.