In March 2008 the House of Lords voted for the laws to be abolished and on 8th May 2008, the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 passed through the House of Commons bringing to an end the common law offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel in England and Wales. The law was to take effect from 8th July 2008.
At the time it was said that the blasphemy law was outdated and no one had been prosecuted under that law for some considerable time.
The Labour Government consulted with the Church of England and other churches before reaching a decision. Leading figures within the Church of England, including Lord Carey, former Archbishop of Canterbury, shamefully urged that the laws be repealed.
The harvest of that repeal has begun to come forth this past week!
A 19 minute long film entitled 'Visions of Ecstasy' and banned for 23 years under these blasphemy laws has now been passed for release, uncut, and given an '18 certificate', which enables it now to be shown in parts of the United kingdom.
