UK media laws: List of statutes

Alphabetical list of statutes

Page still under construction; subject to revision

Principal Acts of Parliament
Non-statutory arrangements
Related statutes

British media inquiries, White Papers and official reports

PRINCIPAL ACTS OF PARLIAMENT

All of these statutes are or were primarily concerned with media-related subjects.
Statutes in italics/grey have been repealed by or consolidated in subsequent statutes [as indicated in square brackets].

con     consolidated in Act cited
R       repealed by Act cited
      Click bullet for details.

Collective titles
¹The Cinematograph Acts 1909 and 1952
²The Cinematograph Film Production (Special Loans) Acts 1949 to 1970
³The Cinematograph Films Acts 1957 to 1970
⁴The Films Acts 1960 to 1970

British Film Institute Act 1949
British Film Institute Act 1957
British Telecommunications Act 1981
Broadcasting Act 1980 [repealed by Broadcasting Act 1981]
Broadcasting Act 1981 [repealed by Broadcasting Act 1990]
Broadcasting Act 1987 [repealed by Broadcasting Act 1990]
Broadcasting Act 1990
Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984
Celluloid and Cinematograph Film Act 1922
Cinemas Act 1985
Cinematograph Act 1909¹ [con Cinemas Act 1985]
Cinematograph Act 1952¹ [con Cinemas Act 1985]
Cinematograph (Amendment) Act 1982 Cinematograph (Amendment) Act 1982 [con Cinemas Act 1985]
Cinematograph Film Production (Special Loans) Act 1949 Cinematograph Film Production (Special Loans) Act 1949² [repealed by National Film Finance Corporation Act 1981]
Cinematograph Film Production (Special Loans) Act 1950 Cinematograph Film Production (Special Loans) Act 1950² [repealed by Films Act 1970]
Cinematograph Film Production (Special Loans) Act 1952 Cinematograph Film Production (Special Loans) Act 1952² [repealed by Films Act 1980]
Cinematograph Film Production (Special Loans) Act 1954 Cinematograph Film Production (Special Loans) Act 1954² [repealed by National Film Finance Corporation Act 1981]
Cinematograph Films Act 1927 Cinematograph Films Act 1927 [repealed by Cinematograph Films Act 1948]
Cinematograph Films Act 1938 Cinematograph Films Act 1938 Cinematograph Films Act 1938 Cinematograph Films Act 1938 [con Films Act 1960]
Cinematograph Films Act 1948 Cinematograph Films Act 1948 [con Films Act 1960]
Cinematograph Films Act 1957 [Part I, Part II Cinematograph Films Act 1957 [Part I, Part II²] [repealed by Film Levy Finance Act 1981]
Cinematograph Films Act 1960 Cinematograph Films Act 1960 [consolidated in Films Act 1960]
Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937
Communications Act 2003
Copyright Act 1911 [repealed, except s.15, s.34, s.37]
Copyright Act 1956
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
Copyright (Amendment) Act 1983
Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
Entertainments Duty Act 1958 [repealed by Finance Act 1960]
Films Act 1960⁴ [repealed by Films Act 1985]
Films Act 1964⁴ [repealed by Films Act 1985]
Films Act 1966^{2 3 4} [repealed by Films Act 1985]
Films Act 1970^{2 3 4} [repealed by Films Act 1985]
Films Act 1979 [repealed by Films Act 1985]
Films Act 1985
Film Levy Finance Act 1981
Independent Broadcasting Authority Act 1973 [repealed by Broadcasting Act 1981]
Independent Broadcasting Authority Act 1974 Independent Broadcasting Authority Act 1974 [repealed by Broadcasting Act 1981]
Independent Broadcasting Authority (No 2) Act 1974 Independent Broadcasting Authority (No 2) Act 1974 [repealed by Broadcasting Act 1980]
Independent Broadcasting Authority Act 1978 Independent Broadcasting Authority Act 1978 [repealed by Broadcasting Act 1981]
Independent Broadcasting Authority Act 1979 Independent Broadcasting Authority Act 1979 [repealed by Broadcasting Act 1980]
Marine &c., Broadcasting (Offences) Act 1970
National Film Finance Corporation Act 1981
Obscene Publications Act 1959
Performers Protection Act 1963
Performers Protection Act 1972
Post Office Act 1969
Regulation (EEC) No.2632/70 of the Commission (1970)
Sound Broadcasting Act 1972 [consolidated in Independent Broadcasting Authority 1973]
Submarine Telegraph Act 1885
Sunday Cinema Act 1972 [repealed by Cinemas Act 1985]
Sunday Entertainments Act 1932 [for cinemas repealed by Sunday Cinema Act 1972, Films Act 1985]
Sunday Observance Act 1780 [repealed by Licensing Act 2003]
Telecommunications Act 1984
Telecommunications (Fraud) Act 1997
Telegraph Act 1863
Telegraph Act 1868
Telegraph Act 1870
Telegraph Act 1878
Telegraph (Isle of Man) Act 1889
Telegraph Act 1892
Telegraph Act 1899 [repealed by Communications Act 2003]
Telegraph Construction Act 1908
Telegraph (Arbitration) Act 1909
Telephone Transfer Act 1911
Telegraph (Construction) Act 1911
Telegraph (Construction) Act 1916
Television Act 1954 [consolidated in Television Act 1964]
Television Act 1958 [consolidated in Television Act 1964]
Television Act 1963 [consolidated in Television Act 1964]
Television Act 1964 [consolidated in Independent Broadcasting Authority Act 1964]
Video Recordings Act 1984 (amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994)
Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949

NON-STATUTORY ARRANGEMENTS

The British Broadcasting Corporation operates under its Deed of Licence and Agreement between the Secretary of State for National Heritage* (until 1969 it was the Postmaster General, then until 1992 the Home Secretary) and the BBC and exists by virtue of its Royal Charter of 20 December 1926, both subsequently extended in 1937, 1946, 1952 and on these more recent dates:

Licence and Agreement of 12 June 1952 (Cmnd 8579)
+ Supplemental Agreements in
Cmnd 9089 19 February 1954
Cmnd 9196 28 June 1954
Cmnd 80 1 February 1957
Cmnd 1066 2 June 1960

Licence and Agreement of 7 July 1969 (Cmnd 4095)
+ supplemental Agreements in
Cmnd 6468 7 April 1976
Cmnd 7908 8 March 1979
2 April 1981

Royal Charter of 26 March 1964 extended by
Supplemental Charter of 13 July 1976 in Cmnd 6581
Supplemental Charter of 23 April 1979 in Cmnd 7568

Royal Charter of 7 June 1981 to 31 December 1996

The present set of documents expires on 31 December 2006 and is expected to be replaced by a new Royal Charter and Licence and Agreement from that date.

You can read the current Charter on the BBC website.

*The Department of National Heritage is now the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

RELATED STATUTES

All of these statutes have (or have had) some bearing on media-related subjects

Advertisements (Hire Purchase) Act 1957
Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1985
Building Societies Act 1986
Charities Act 1960 [repealed by Education Act 1973]
Children Act 1989
Children and Young Persons Act 1933
Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937
Children and Young Persons Act 1963
Children and Young Persons (Northern Ireland) Act 1968
Competition Act 1980
Consumer Protection Act 1987
Contempt of Court Act 1981
Courts Act 1971
Criminal Justice Act 1967
Criminal Justice Act 1987
Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975
Customs and Excise Act 1952
Defamation Act 1952
Defamation (Northern Ireland) Act 1955
Electric Lighting Act 1882
Employment Agencies Act 1973
European Communities Act 1972
Fair Trading Act 1973
Finance Act 1957 [Television Duty repealed by Finance Act 1963]
Finance Act 1960
Finance Act 1963
Finance Act 1972
Finance Act 1982
Financial Services Act 1986
Fire Precautions Act 1971
Gaming Act 1968
House of Commons Disqualification Act 1957 [repealed]
House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975
Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1970
Indecent Displays (Control) Act 1981
Industry Act 1975
Insolvency Act 1986
Insurance Companies Act 1982
Law of Libel Amendment Act 1888
Licensing Act 1964
Liverpool Corporation Act 1921
Local Government Act 1933 [repealed by Local Government Act 1972]
Local Government Act 1966 [for cinemas repealed by Cinemas Act 1985]
Local Government Act 1972 [for cinemas repealed by Cinemas Act 1985]
Local Government (Scotland) Act 1966 [for cinemas repealed by Cinemas Act 1985]
Local Government (Northern Ireland) Act 1972
London Cab Act 1968
Magistrates Court Act 1980
Merchant Shipping Act 1970
Merchant Shipping Act 1970
National Audit Act 1983
New Towns Act 1965
New Towns (Scotland) Act 1968
Northern Ireland Assembly Disqualification Act 1975
Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973
Post Office Act 1969
Private Place of Entertainment (Licensing) Act 1967
Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960
Public Health Act 1936
Public Health Act 1961
Public Utilities Street Works Act 1950
Representation of the People Act 1969
Representation of the People Act 1983
Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976
Scottish Development Agency Act 1975
Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1976
Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968
South Africa Act 1962
Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1978
Submarine Telegraph Act 1885
Superannuation Act 1972 Theatres Act 1968
Town and Country Planning Act 1971
Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1972
Trade Descriptions Act 1968
Value Added Tax Act 1983
Welsh Development Agency Act 1975

UK media laws index
Media laws and regulation index

Page updated 25 July 2003