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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Springer opera court fight fails | Springer opera court fight fails |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A Christian group has lost its High Court battle to prosecute the BBC's director general over the screening of Jerry Springer - The Opera, in 2005. | A Christian group has lost its High Court battle to prosecute the BBC's director general over the screening of Jerry Springer - The Opera, in 2005. |
| Christian Voice director, Stephen Green, had hoped to overturn a previous ruling which forbade him from prosecuting Mark Thompson. | |
| Mr Green said the show "clearly crossed the blasphemy threshold". | Mr Green said the show "clearly crossed the blasphemy threshold". |
| Two judges ruled it was reasonable to conclude the play "in context" could not be considered as blasphemous. | Two judges ruled it was reasonable to conclude the play "in context" could not be considered as blasphemous. |
| They said the production "as a whole was not and could not reasonably be regarded as aimed at, or an attack on, Christianity or what Christians held sacred". | They said the production "as a whole was not and could not reasonably be regarded as aimed at, or an attack on, Christianity or what Christians held sacred". |
| The BBC received a record 63,000 complaints when the musical - a satire based on US TV host Jerry Springer's controversial talk show - was broadcast on BBC Two in January 2005. | The BBC received a record 63,000 complaints when the musical - a satire based on US TV host Jerry Springer's controversial talk show - was broadcast on BBC Two in January 2005. |
| The corporation also received many messages of support for screening the musical, which includes scenes set in Hell with Jesus and Satan. | |
| Solicitors for Christian Voice urged Lord Justice Hughes and Mr Justice Collins to allow the blasphemy prosecution to go ahead. | Solicitors for Christian Voice urged Lord Justice Hughes and Mr Justice Collins to allow the blasphemy prosecution to go ahead. |