Lanzavia
12-07-2005, 15:57
LanzPress, Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Proclamation by the Government of Lanzavia
By a narrow margin of 142:139, the Upper House of Parliament of the Republic of Lanzavia has approved Bill L-132, already passed by a overwhelming majority (312:115) in the Lower House of Parliament last month.
In brief, the bill stipulates that the practice of Astrology, Palm Reading, and othe such pseudo-sciences (defined in Appendix 1 of the Bill) for commercial purposes are considered illegal in Lanzavia within the context of the General Laws on Fraudulent Business Practices.
Several ammendments have been made to the original proposal of the Government (dominated by the SHP [Secular Humanist Party]) by the Opposition, particularly the CU (Conservative Union) as well as the PLP (Progressive Liberal Party). The CU succeeded in explicitely excluding recognised religious organisations and traditional religious texts from the scope of the bill, while the PLP was successful in excempting books and newsprint that discusses such matters from the coverage of the law.
A practical implication of the bill is, for example, that horoscopes have to carry a disclaimer printed in prominent letters at least two points larger than the letters used in the main body of the text.
The exact wording of such disclaimers in books and newsprints will be developed by a special committee within the Ministry of Science, Public Education, and Media under the chairmanship of Neill Mendelson, current Secretary of Education.
In a statement to the media, Secretary Mendelson stated that he was "extremely pleased" by the approval of the bill, but that he regrets that "the bill was watered down". Secretary Mendelson - the sponsor of the original bill - had at first tried to include practices such as homeopathy and other alternative medical approaches as well.
By the time of the second reading in May, however, these sections were removed by the Lower House Committee of Public Welfare. In order to ensure passage of the remaining parts of the bill, Secretary Mendelson agreed to it in its present form, and the bill was passed at the third reading.
"The fight against Quackery is not over", Secretary Mendelson said in parliament, "I will do my best to introduce a separate bill on the matter in the very near future".
The leader of the Opposition, Leonard Demarre, stated that the bill goes 'against the best traditions of Lanzavia and will certainly tarnish our reputation as a liberal democracy', but was quick to add that his opposition should not be taken as an 'implicit endorsement of astrology and similar nonsense', but that it was simply a 'matter of principle - this is not befitting a liberal nation'.
The public of Lanzavia has been generally disinterested in the matter, though a slight majority tends to oppose the bill as a violation of free speech.
byline: D.R.
Proclamation by the Government of Lanzavia
By a narrow margin of 142:139, the Upper House of Parliament of the Republic of Lanzavia has approved Bill L-132, already passed by a overwhelming majority (312:115) in the Lower House of Parliament last month.
In brief, the bill stipulates that the practice of Astrology, Palm Reading, and othe such pseudo-sciences (defined in Appendix 1 of the Bill) for commercial purposes are considered illegal in Lanzavia within the context of the General Laws on Fraudulent Business Practices.
Several ammendments have been made to the original proposal of the Government (dominated by the SHP [Secular Humanist Party]) by the Opposition, particularly the CU (Conservative Union) as well as the PLP (Progressive Liberal Party). The CU succeeded in explicitely excluding recognised religious organisations and traditional religious texts from the scope of the bill, while the PLP was successful in excempting books and newsprint that discusses such matters from the coverage of the law.
A practical implication of the bill is, for example, that horoscopes have to carry a disclaimer printed in prominent letters at least two points larger than the letters used in the main body of the text.
The exact wording of such disclaimers in books and newsprints will be developed by a special committee within the Ministry of Science, Public Education, and Media under the chairmanship of Neill Mendelson, current Secretary of Education.
In a statement to the media, Secretary Mendelson stated that he was "extremely pleased" by the approval of the bill, but that he regrets that "the bill was watered down". Secretary Mendelson - the sponsor of the original bill - had at first tried to include practices such as homeopathy and other alternative medical approaches as well.
By the time of the second reading in May, however, these sections were removed by the Lower House Committee of Public Welfare. In order to ensure passage of the remaining parts of the bill, Secretary Mendelson agreed to it in its present form, and the bill was passed at the third reading.
"The fight against Quackery is not over", Secretary Mendelson said in parliament, "I will do my best to introduce a separate bill on the matter in the very near future".
The leader of the Opposition, Leonard Demarre, stated that the bill goes 'against the best traditions of Lanzavia and will certainly tarnish our reputation as a liberal democracy', but was quick to add that his opposition should not be taken as an 'implicit endorsement of astrology and similar nonsense', but that it was simply a 'matter of principle - this is not befitting a liberal nation'.
The public of Lanzavia has been generally disinterested in the matter, though a slight majority tends to oppose the bill as a violation of free speech.
byline: D.R.