The government has today confirmed plans to make it an offence to possess images of extreme sexual violence. Those convicted could face three years in prison.

As is usual for this government its plans are wrong in many different ways.

The new law follows a campaign begun by a mother whose adult daughter was killed by a man who possessed such extreme images. My utmost sympathy for her loss doesn't stop me from opposing her campaign.

For a start the new law is built on a logical fallacy: Many violent criminals possess violent images so anyone possessing violent images should be considered dangerous. Hmm. A bit like saying that many dogs are white so any animal that is white is probably a dog.

Then there's the vital philosophical issue. We will be jailing people not for doing anything or hurting anyone but simply for possessing and looking at pictures.

This is not the same situation as with child porn. Under the new law people could go to prison for possessing pictures of consenting adults. The proposals include material that simply "appears to be" life threatening, even if it turns out to have been staged.

It's not quite "thought crime", but it's getting close. "Sight crime" anyone?

Some people are already saying that the law is unlikely to be enforced because of these difficulties. That's not much of a consolation - bad law is bad law and sets a bad precedent. It's also likely to have an effect even if not enforced - that's what happened with Section 28. A lot of people involved with alternative sexuality between consenting adults are likely to feel themselves under threat. Services for these people are likely to cease and communities close.

A large number of people who are no threat to anyone will suffer the fallout of this unnecessary and ineffective extension of censorship.

Living is a free country means accepting that some people will say, do and watch things that we don't like. With this law Tony Blair is showing his contempt for such freedom.

For more information see backlash.


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