Reply #41: Most in depth analysis I've found so far

[muriel_volestrangler]

was on the BBC Radio arts programme 'Front Row' - audio available here for the next week: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio4_aod.shtml?radio4/frontrow_wed

The story starts about 1 minute 20 seconds into the audio (don't get confused by the final few seconds of the preceding soap opera right at the start of the audio :D ), and lasts about 6 minutes. Roughly, the media lawyer says the Protection of Children Act 1978 prohibits the showing of 'indecent' photos. He says the intention of the photographer doesn't matter, and nor does if the children were happy to be photographed like that at the time. The question of 'indecency' will be left to the Director of Public Prosecutions (senior, but non-political, official), he reckons, and he predicts the decision will be to do nothing, and allow the photo to be displayed - the context the photo is shown in is taken into account, and he thinks this will be taken as 'artistic'. He does suggest the gallery might consider putting up a warning that people would see before they saw the photo.