A British court has ruled that the BBC can't be prosecuted for blasphemy for airing Jerry Springer—The Opera, which features scenes set in Hell with Jesus and Satan. The High Court ruled that not only is the opera not blasphemous—because it satirizes a TV show rather than attacking religion—but also found that live stage shows shouldn't be prosecuted for blasphemy.
The Christian group that pushed for the prosecution describes the ruling as "carte blanche to blaspheme." Meanwhile, the BBC praised the decision, and free-speech groups say they hope to press ahead with get blasphemy laws off the books altogether. "The obvious next step is to repeal this outdated offense," says a spokeswoman for the group Liberty. (More Jerry Springer The Opera stories.)