In 1998 an artwork exhibited at Te Papa (the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa) in Wellington attracted religious protests. It was a statuette of the Virgin Mary in a condom by artist Tania Kovat. MP John Banks attempted to prosecute the museum, but Solicitor-General John McGrath ruled that a prosecution should not proceed due to the freedom-of-expression provisions enshrined in the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990.
The artwork was a response to the Catholic Church's stance on issues such as contraception, sexuality and abortion.
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