In our Law & Culture column, you will find original works of fiction, reviews of a wide range of publications — not just conventional legal texts — as well as broader cultural forms such as films, TV shows, CDs, DVDs, art exhibitions and so on. The column links in with the Alternative Law Journal’s focus on law for the disadvantaged, human rights law and law reform.Speak now: Australian perspectives on same-sex marriage
Victor Marsh (ed); Clouds of Magellan, 2011; 255pp; $29.95 (paperback)
We knew that there was enough in our shared journeying to gather us into the future … whatever it might bring.
Reverend Dorothy McRae-McMahon
Marriage equality evokes passionate debate amongst scholars, politicians and individuals in the community. Often public debates are constructed in polarising terms: conservative religious narratives that value marriage as a procreative institution is weighted against a human rights dialogue that argues marriage equality is a basic civil right. Speak Now: Australian Perspectives on Same-Sex Marriage is a collection of essays, edited by Victor Marsh, that attempts a more provocative discussion beyond the current public debate by interrogating the different political, personal, cultural and affective investments that surround the issue of same-sex marriage (or marriage equality more appropriately). From academic essays to personal musings, the book highlights the disparate ways in which marriage occupies a privileged space in our communities. Given the volume of pieces and the constraints of a word limit, my review explores these issues thematically, so I am unable to do justice or mention every individual author.
Paula Gerber and Adiva Sifris (eds); Law in Context Special Issue 28(1); Federation Press, 2011; 122 pages; $66.00 (paperback)
Tamara Walsh; The Federation Press, 2011; 291pp; $49.95 (paperback)
Written and performed by Aamer Rahman and Nazeem Hussain
On 25 November 2010, Srdjan Spasojevic’s A Serbian Film1 was classified RC in Australia by the Classification Board after being submitted for a sale/hire classification by its prospective Australian distributor Accent Films. RC stands for ‘Refused Classification’ and the sale, hire and public exhibition of RC films is prohibited by legislation in each Australian state and territory. These films are effectively banned. The Classification Board has no power to modify or ‘cut’ films, nor can it request that this be done. It does, however, supply those who submitted the film with a report detailing the reasons for the Board’s decision and the scenes it found particularly problematic. This essentially provides an acceptable stencil around which to cut. On 23 February 2011, a modified version of A Serbian Film was refused classification. However, on 5 April 2011, a further modified version was classified R18+, meaning this version could be legally sold and hired to adults throughout Australia.
To subscribe directly using Google Chrome please install the 
News & Views 
