Censors Reappointed

The present Chief Censor and Deputy Chief Censor of Film and Literature have been reappointed for further terms, Internal Affairs Minister Jack Elder announced today.

Kathryn Paterson and Lois Hutchinson were appointed to head the Office of Film and Video Classification which opened on 1 October 1994. They were responsible for establishing the new office under the Films, Videos and Publications Classifications Act 1993 - censorship legislation which has been described overseas as a world leader in human rights issues, Mr Elder said.

"They should particularly be commended for their achievements in getting the Office up and running and in continuing to deliver a high quality service to the community in what is always a difficult area," he said.

"Censorship is often a thankless task, as many people do not realise what sort of material comes into this country and which is referred to the Classification Office. Much of the material the Office sees is unpleasant, some of it extremely so, but I am pleased to say we have an excellent team at the Office."