Censorship of Publications Act, 1929

Register of prohibited publications.

11.—(1) The Minister shall prepare and keep a register to be called and known as “The Register of Prohibited Publications” (in this section referred to as the register) in such form as shall be prescribed by the Minister by regulations made under this Act.

(2) Whenever a prohibition order is made there shall forthwith be entered in the register—

(a) if such order relates to a book, the name of such book, the edition or editions of such book to which such order applies, the names of the author and the publisher of such book if and as stated in such book, the date of such order and the date of the publication thereof in the Iris Oifigiúil, and

(b) if such order relates to a periodical publication, the name of such publication, the names of the proprietor and the publisher of such publication if and as stated in such publication, the date of such order and the date of the publication thereof in the Iris Oifigiúil.

(3) Whenever a prohibition order is revoked by the Minister under this Act the entry in the register of the book or periodical publication to which such order relates shall be erased and whenever a prohibition order is amended by the Minister under this Act the particulars of such amending order and of the amendment effected thereby shall be entered in the register opposite the entry of such book or periodical publication.

(4) The Minister shall cause the register to be printed, published and made available to the public in such manner and at such times as he shall think proper.

(5) It shall be the duty of every Customs official examining the baggage of incoming travellers to exhibit on demand a list of all books which are at the time being the subject of a prohibition order.

(6) The register shall be open to inspection free of charge by any person at such place in the City of Dublin and at such hours as shall be prescribed by the Minister by regulations made under this Act and a copy of any entry in the register certified by an officer of the Minister to be a true copy shall be furnished by the Minister to any person on payment of such charge as shall be fixed from time to time by the Minister with the consent of the Minister for Finance.

(7) A document purporting to be a copy of an entry in the register and to be certified by an officer of the Minister to be a true copy shall, without proof of the signature of such officer or of the fact that he is such officer, be accepted in all courts of justice as evidence until the contrary is proved of the terms of such entry and that the same was contained in the register at the date on which such certificate purports to have been given.

(8) The fact that a book or a periodical publication is at any particular time entered in the register shall be conclusive evidence that a prohibition order has been made in regard thereto and that such order is then still in force and the terms of such entry in the register shall be conclusive evidence of the editions of such book or issues of such periodical publication to which such order applies.