ProLife Alliance fights BBC's broadcast ban

Lisa O'Carroll
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday May 23 2001 12.53 BST

The ProLife Alliance is launching a high court action in a bid to force the BBC to show its party election broadcast in full.

The move follows the BBC's refusal to show the broadcast in Wales on the grounds it might offend viewers.

A hearing is expected today and the PLA's solicitor, Robin Cooper, said he will argue the BBC's decision is in breach of the freedom of speech clauses in the European convention on human rights.

The four-and-a-half minute broadcast contains disturbing images of aborted foetuses.

The BBC is adamant the film cannot be shown in its present form because the pictures would breach its own codes on taste and decency.

This is the second time the anti-abortion lobbyists have had their broadcasts turned down.

The PLA mounted a similar legal challenge in the run-up to the last general election after the BBC refused to show another election broadcast featuring footage of aborted foetuses. The party lost its challenge and the film was broadcast with the images blacked out.

The PLA claims the film at the centre of today's court challenge is less graphic the 1997 broadcast.

If the PLA succeeds in its challenge, the broadcast will be screened in Wales, where the party has six candidates standing for election, a sufficient number to qualify for a PEB.

However, it would need 88 candidates in England and 12 in Scotland to be able to run PEBs in those areas.

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