WHILE THE ENGLISH CASE OF Lady Chatterley's Lover was
awaiting trial at the Old Bailey, another case was started
which was not finally decided until after Lawrence's book was
cleared. This new case has no direct literary interest, but it throws
light on the interpretation of the Obscene Publications Act, 1959,
and its relation to the common law and other statutes.

At this time the Street Offences Act, 1959, had enabled the po-
lice to drive the prostitutes off the London streets, and ways and
means whereby they could attract business were much sought after.
To further this object a Soho man put on sale a periodical called
The Ladies' Directory ¹ in which prostitutes inserted paid adver-
tisements giving their telephone numbers and in some cases their
photographs and indications of any peculiar sexual tastes for which
they catered.

Although the man was quite open about what he was doing and
sought the opinion of the police regarding the legality of his direc-
tory, he received no help from them and was eventually prosecuted.
He was tried at the Central Criminal Court ² in December 1960
and a jury found him guilty of (1) conspiracy to corrupt public
morals, (2) living on the earnings of prostitution, and (3) Pub-
lishing an obscene article. He was sentenced to nine months' im-
prisonment.

The three convictions and the sentence were upheld by the Court

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