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The perils of censorship | Stitching director Chris Gatt
Three videos by Censor Fortress interviewing Stitching director Chris Gatt, Unifaun director Adrian Buckle, and lawyer Michael Zammit Maempel.
3 August 2010, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
1 min read
The play, produced by Unifaun productions, was banned by the classification board, which is chaired by Therese Friggieri, for its use of blasphemy and its portrayal of the Holocaust.
In his 82-page judgment, Mr Justice Joseph Zammit McKeon said “without hesitation” that the board had acted correctly and pointed out that the values of a country could not be turned upside down simply in the name of freedom of expression.
He said it was unacceptable in a “democratic society founded on the rule of law” for any person, no matter what they did, to be allowed to swear in public – even in a theatre as part of a script. “According to our law, the very fact that a person swears in public, regardless of the reason, is a contravention... So if the court allows this in a democratic society, it would be discriminating (against those who are punished for swearing in public).”
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
joanne schembri •
At least they are fighting for their right of Free Expression, no matter the criticism they are receiving. It is a shame that some Maltese find comfort in censorship as that shows that these Maltese are not democratic and intolerant to different opinions.
Censor Fortress is totally behind the UNIFAUN team and there should be more like them, as for those who do not know, FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION is part of the Maltese Constitution and also part of the EU legal framework.
Thanks Malta Today for giving a voice to those who need it. Artistic censorship is wrong and should be STOPPED immediately. Malta should be a democratic country like other EU states.
Norman Buckle •
They can protest until eternity is over, but they don't have a case.
They do have a cause ... a just one, worth fighting for.
The only way to fight this ridiculous law is to pressure the lawmakers -- the elected members of parliament -- to have it amended or repealed.
Any other approach is a sheer waste of time.
