Why Ireland won’t ‘ban’ Louis Theroux’s Scientology film
Why Ireland won’t ‘ban’ Louis Theroux’s Scientology film.
The Irish Times:
Why Ireland won’t ‘ban’ Louis Theroux’s Scientology film
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/...an-louis-theroux-s-scientology-film-1.2807475
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Why Ireland won’t ‘ban’ Louis Theroux’s Scientology film
A speculative media story has suggested a new documentary could ‘might’ be banned under Ireland’s blasphemy laws. It won’t
Donald Clarke
Donald Clark Twitter
[SNIP]
Dr Neville Cox, associate professor of Law at
Trinity College Dublin, told The Irish Times: “There are three reasons why the blasphemy laws are of no relevance here.” It is significant, he agrees, that the state does not define the Church of Scientology as a religion with charitable status.
“Secondly, for blasphemy it has to deal with issues held sacred by a religion and, thirdly, there is an exception within the blasphemy laws for something that is of literary, political, artistic or scientific merit. There is no way a documentary could not fall under that.”
[SNIP]
This week’s chatter has, however, focused almost exclusively on the blasphemy legislation. Professor Cox explains: “My view is the 2009 act fulfilled a constitutional obligation on the crime of blasphemy, but skilfully rendered the law completely unenforceable. I am not saying that was the intention.”
My Scientology Movie opens in the UK on October 7th. It will be broadcast on the BBC at a later date. The inflated controversy will do the film no harm at all.
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