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The legal responsibility for classifying film lies not with the BBFC but in the hands of local authorities,which may in their area over-rule any of the BBFC's decisions on appeal, may pass films rejected by the Board or ban films that the Board has classified. They can also pass a film uncut even if the BBFC have made cuts, or put in place new cuts of their own, or they can issue licences for films to be shown in their own area at a different category from the one given by the BBFC.

In practice , since most local authorities do not have the facilities or staff to carry out this function on a regular basis, these powers have been handed over to the BBFC since the 1920s. Local authorities can take back these powers whenever they choose and have done so recently.

Crash

David Cronenberg's film was passed 18 in 1997 after a great deal of thought and consulting of experts. There was intense pressure to reject the film, largely due to a newspaper campaign that whipped up fears that the material would encourage people's morbid interest in vehicle- wrecks- and -sex, an unlikely combination, but enough to alarm the readers of certain papers, There was unprecedented Press intrusion into the lives of the then examiners, but the film was finally passed 18 no cuts. Subsequently, certain local authorities exercised their powers and banned the film in their areas – Westminster being one. After the film's release, the fuss died down as people actually saw the film and made their own judgements, rather than relying on hearsay and Press reports.

Billy Elliot

Passed 15 in 2000 because of the frequent use of strong language, this film about a miner's son who pursues his dream to be a ballet dancer starred 14-year old Jamie Bell, who was too young to attend the premiere. There were complaints to local authorities from parents who felt that this film about youthful ambition was attractive to and suitable for their under-fourteen children, and local certificates were subsequently issued in a number of locations across the country. The BBFC had no choice under the Guidelines to pass this film lower than 15, since “12” Guidelines for language state that strong language must be “rare”.

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