The Offence of Possession of Extreme Pornographic Images (cjıa 2008 Sec. 63-67 and TPC (Türk Ceza Kanunu) Nr. 5237 Art. 226/4)

Ekstrem Pornografik Görüntüler Bulundurma Suçu (CJIA (Adil Cezalandırma ve Sığınma Yasa) 2008 Böl. 63-67 ve 5237 s. TCK m.226/4)

Z. Özlem E. YILMAZ

It is a relatively recent trend in many developed and democratic states to criminalise for adults to possess certain kind of pornographic images, mainly due to anxieties related to consumption of child pornography and its negative effects. In this paper, only the offence of possession of extreme pornographic images will be examined within the scope of English and Turkish positive law as well as the theoretical principles of the criminal law which will be mainly based on Millian liberal theory, as it is believed to be the ideology that most accurately underline the value of individual liberty, privacy and tolerance. Both in England and Turkey, it is an offence to be in possession of extreme pornographic images but with differences, yet both provisions may argued to be unjustified in terms of freedoms and rights of individuals.

Liberal Theory, Principles of Criminal law, The Harm Principle, Freedom of Speech, Obscenity.

Son zamanlarda, bir çok gelişmiş ve demokratik ülkenin belli bir takım içerikte pornografik görüntüleri bulundurmayı, çocuk pornografisi tüketiminin ve bunun olumsuz sonuçlarının yarattığı endişeden yola çıkarak, suç kapsamına aldığını görmekteyiz. Bu çalışmada; İngiliz hukukunda yer alan ekstrem pornografik görüntüler bulundurma suçu temel alınarak; bu suçun Türkiye’deki düzenleniş biçimi de karşılaştırmalı olarak, suçun düzenlenme amaç ve özellikleri, ceza hukukunun genel prensipleri ve sınırları çerçevesinde, ve bireysel özgürlük, özel hayatın gizliliği ve hoşgörü değerlerini en doğru şekilde vurguladığına inanılan Mill’in liberal teorisi altında incelenecektir. Hem İngiltere hem de Türkiye’de ekstrem pornografik görüntüler bulundurmak suç olarak düzenlenmiştir, içerik ve diğer bazı hususlarda farklılıklar bulunsa da, her iki düzenlemenin de bireyin hak ve özgürlükleri bakımından hukuka uygunlukları tartışmalıdır.

Liberal Teori, Ceza Hukukunun Temel İlkeleri, Zarar İlkesi, İfade Özgürlüğü, Müstehcenlik.

A. INTRODUCTION: THEORETICAL BASE

As it is underlined in an edition of John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty; ‘liberty’ is crucial within almost every ideology from anarchism to communism¹, hence, it can be certainly asserted that liberty is far more fundamental to the individual. One of the reasons for that is an individual can be the easiest target to be oppressed by a group, the majority, or the government. Rights and principles, such as individual liberty, autonomy, individual self-fulfilment, freedom to pursue one’s own interest and life goals, self-regarding conduct, self-expression, freedom of speech, or right to privacy, which are based on liberal theory, are therefore important.

The founder of the liberal theory, Mill states that;

“…the only principle for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinion of others, to do so would be wise or even right. These are good reasons for remonstrating with him, or reasoning with him, or persuading him, or entreating him, but not for compelling him, or visiting him with any evil in case he do otherwise. To justify that, the conduct from which it is desired to deter him, must be calculated to produce evil to someone else. The only part of the conduct of any one for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others. In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign.”²