Video Recordings Act 1984

Classification
The video recordings act 1984 was introduced in order to regulate the classification by certificate and the labelling of video works that are supplied in the course of or in further ance of a business or video works that are supplied for reward, save those that are concerned with sport, religion or music or those that can properly be described as being designed to inform, educate or instruct.

The video recordings (labelling) regulations 1985, which are made under section 8 of the 1984 act, provide for the type and content of classification certificates and for the positioning and clarity of the required labels and markings. The categories of classification are as follows:

Uc - universal particulary suitable for young children.

u - universal suitable for all.

pg - parental guidance general viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children.

12 - suitable only for persons of 12 years and older. Not to be supplied to any person below that age.

15 - suitable only for persons of 15 years and older. Not to be supplied to any person below that age.

18 - suitable only for persons of 18 years and older. Not to be supplied to any person below that age.

restricted 18 - to be supplied only in licensed sex shops to persons of not less than 18 years.

Offences: Video Recordings Act 1984
The 1984 act creates a number of criminal offences:
(a) section 9, supplying or offering to supply an unclassified video work.
(b) section 10, possession of an unclassified video work for the purposes of supply.
(c) section 11, supplying or offering to supply recordings of classified works in breach of the classification.
(d) section 12, supplying or offering to supply a work otherwise than in a licensed sex shop.
(e) section 13, supplying or offering to supply a video recording not complying with the video recordings (labelling) regulations 1985.
(f) section 14, supplying or offering to supply a video recording containing a false indication as to classification.

Penalties: Video Recordings Act 1984
From 3rd february 1995 section 88 the criminal justice and public order act 1994 makes sections 9 and 10 "either-way" offences with maximum penalties as follows:
A) on indictment - imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 year or an unlimited fine or both.
B) summarily - imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or a fine not exceeding £20,000 or both.

Sections 11,12 and 14 remain summary with either a maximum penalty of imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or a fine not exceeding level 5 (£5,000) or both.

Specimen Charges/Summonses
(a) on the ... Day of... 19..
at...
supplied/offered to supply a video recording, namely ... Containing a video work in respect of which no classification certificate had been issued
contrary to section 9(1) of the video recordings act 1984

(b) on the ... Day of... 19..
at...
had a video recording containing a video work, namely ... In respect of which no classifi cation certificate had been issued for the purpose of supplying it
contrary to section 10(1) of the video recordings act 1984

(c) on the ... Day of... 19..
at...
supplied/offered to supply a video recording, namely ... Which did not satisfy a requirement imposed by regulations under section 8 of the video recordings act 1984, namely under regulation 4(2) of the video recordings (labelling) regulations 1985, in that the appropriate symbol was not shown on the spine of the covering in which the recording was kept
contrary to section 13 of the video recordings act 1984

(d) on the ... Day of... 19..
at ...
unlawfully supplied/offered to supply a video recording containing a video work, namely ... In respect of which no classification certificate had been issued and the video recording/spool/case/thing in or on which the recording was kept contained an indication that a classification certificate had been issued in respect of the said work contrary to section 14(1) of the video recordings act 1984