CENSORSHIP AND CONTROL OF ENTERTAINMENTS

CHAPTER 21:01
CENSORSHIP AND CONTROL OF ENTERTAINMENTS

PART I
PRELIMINARY

    1.    Short title

    2.    Interpretation

PART II
BOARD OF CENSORS

    3.    Establishment of Board of Censors

    4.    Tenure of office of members of Board

    5.    Proceedings of Board

    6.    Functions of Board

    7.    Committees of the Board

    7A.    Readers and viewers

    8.    Remuneration, etc., of Board and committee members, readers and viewers

PART III
THEATRE LICENCE

    9.    Theatre licences

PART IIIA
PREMISES LICENCE

    9A.    Premises licences

PART IV
CINEMATOGRAPH EXHIBITIONS

    10.    Certificates of approval

    11.    Applications for certificates

    12.    Issue of certificates

    13.    Classification of and conditions attached to certificates

PART V
STAGE PLAYS AND PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENTS

    14.    Entertainment permits

    15.    Applications for entertainment permits

    16.    Issue of entertainment permits

    17.    Additional entertainment permits required

    18.    Cruelty to animals

PART VI
THE MAKING OF CINEMATOGRAPH PICTURES

    19.    Film permits

    20.    Applications for film permits

    21.    Issue of film permits

    22.    Additional film permits required

PART VII
PUBLICATIONS, PICTURES, STATUES AND RECORDS

    23.    Prohibition of importation, etc., of undesirable publications, pictures, statues and records

    24.    Power of Board to declare publications, pictures statues and records undesirable

PART VIII
GENERAL

    25.    Duty of owner or manager, etc., of theatre

    26.    Power of entry

    27.    Exhibition of posters

    28.    Private exhibitions, etc., in theatres

    29.    Board’s power to order surrender of script, etc.

    30.    Appeals

    31.    Minister may cancel any certificate, permit or licence

    32.    Penalties

    33.    Exemptions

    34.    Rules

11 of 1968
24 of 1972
8 of 1980
3 of 1981
39 of 1981
25 of 1983
7 of 1986
22 of 1989

    An Act to regulate and control the making and the exhibition of cinematograph pictures, the importation, production, dissemination of undesirable publications, pictures, statues and records, the performance or presentation of stage plays and public entertainments, the operation of theatres and like places for the performance or presentation of stage plays and public entertainments in the interest of safety, and to provide for matters incidental thereto or connected therewith

PART I
PRELIMINARY

1.    Short title

    This Act may be cited as the Censorship and Control of Entertainments Act.

2.    Interpretation

    In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

    ‘‘Board’’ means the Board of Censors established under section 3;

    ‘‘cinematograph exhibition’’ means any exhibition of cinematograph pictures, whether with sound effects or not, presented by means of a cinematograph or other similar apparatus for presenting cinematograph pictures;

    ‘‘cinematograph picture’’ means any film, picture or other visual image, or part thereof, whether with sound effect or not, made by means of a cinematograph camera or other similar apparatus for recording films, pictures, or visual images, and intended for public exhibition or for sale or hire either within or outside Malawi;

    ‘‘licensing officer’’ means the Minister or such other person or persons as the Minister may appoint to be a licensing officer, whether for the whole of Malawi or such area thereof as may be specified in the appointment;

    ‘‘picture’’, for the purposes of Part VII, includes—

    (a)    any drawing, illustration, painting, woodcut or similar presentation;

    (b)    any print, photograph, engraving, lithograph or similar presentation;

    (c)    any object in which a picture is contained;

    (d)    any exhibition for the purpose of advertising,

    but does not include a cinematograph picture;

    ‘‘place’’ includes a vehicle, vessel or aircraft;

    ‘‘play’’, in relation to a record, means to render audible the sounds recorded thereon;

    ‘‘public’’, in relation to the exhibition of any cinematograph picture, publication, picture or statue, the playing of any record, or the performance or presentation of any stage play or public entertainment, means the exhibition, playing, performance or presentation thereof, as the case may be—

    (a)    in public; or

    (b)    at any place to which admission is obtained—

        (i)    by membership of any association of persons;

        (ii)    for any consideration, direct or indirect; or

        (iii)    by virtue of any contribution towards any fund;

    ‘‘public entertainment’’ includes any concert, animal or circus performance, zoo, waxworks, puppet performance, dancing exhibition, picture or art exhibition, game of skill or chance, acrobatic or other exhibition of skill, professional wrestling and boxing bout, to which the public are admitted either gratuitously or for reward, but does not include athletic games or sports;

    ‘‘publication’’ includes—

    (a)    any newspaper, book, periodical, pamphlet, poster, playing card, calendar or other printed matter;

    (b)    any writing or typescript which has in any manner been duplicated or exhibited or made available to the public or any section of the public;

    ‘‘record’’ means any contrivance or device in or on which sound has been recorded…