Cabinet of Ministers Proposes to Liquidate Law on Protection of Morality
The Cabinet of Ministers submitted to the Parliament Bill 10447 aimed to liquidate the National Expert Committee on Protection of Social Morality, reported the Institute for Religious Freedom (IRS).
The document has been developed to fulfill the Ukrainian President’s Decree 1085 “On Optimization of the System of Central Executive Authorities” of 09.12.2010.
In view of the liquidation of the committee, it is proposed to introduce paid examination of products and entertainment events of sexual or erotic character.
According to the bill, interested persons should submit to state authorities “orders for payment for the examination” in addition to the products themselves. In the past, the committee conducted such examinations free upon applications of citizens, organizations or authorities.
In addition, the bill allows to distribute products, including printed ones and organize entertainment events of sexual or erotic character without a resolution of the committee.
It is also proposed to allow sales, hire and public demonstration in the cinemas and video halls of audio, radio and video products of sexual or erotic character without a resolution of the committee.
According to the Ministry of Justice which developed the bill, the committee duplicates the powers of other bodies authorized to ensure state supervision of the observance of the Law of Ukraine “On Protection of Social Morality.”
In the explanatory note, the Ministry of Justice gives no information as to how efficient the activity of other authorities in the area of protection of social morality is. At the same time, the authors of the bill are of the opinion that liquidation of the committee and other amendments will “promote establishment of a healthy way of life, due condition of morality and culture of the society, improvement of the procedure of supervision of the circulation of products of sexual or erotic character.”
A year ago, on May 12, 2011, the Parliament rejected Bill 653+2 aimed to cancel the Law of Ukraine “On Protection of Social Morality” after numerous addresses of the public and churches to the Supreme Council with requests to preserve the effective mechanism of protection of social morality in the form of a special law and national expert committee.
