Refused Classification

The Australian Classification Board (ACB or CB) is an Australian government statutory body responsible for the classification and censorship of films, television programmes, video games and publications for exhibition, sale or hire in Australia. The ACB is located in Sydney. The ACB was established in 1917 as the Commonwealth Film Censorship Board. In 1988 it was incorporated for administrative purposes into the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC), until its dissolution in 2006. Following the legislative changes enacted in the Commonwealth Classification Act 1995, it became known as the Classification Board. The ACB is made up of a director, a deputy director, and three other board members, appointed by the government for three- or four-year terms, and temporary board members. The ACB does not directly censor material by ordering cuts or changes. However, it is able to effectively censor media by refusing classification and making the media illegal for hire, exhibition and importation to Australia. The classification system has several levels of "restricted" categories, prohibiting sale, exhibition or use of some materials to those who are under a prescribed age. Some documentaries and films (those made for educational or training purposes, for instance) are exempt from classification under certain conditions.