House of Lords
( 1961) 2 All E.R. 446

[Editors' Note: Shaw published a directory of prostitutes called Ladies
Directory. He was convicted of conspiring to corrupt public morals by
means of the magazine and of living on the earnings of prostitution. Shaw's
convictions on both counts were affirmed on appeal. This case is important
for its discussion of the common law offense of conspiracy to corrupt
public morals. We have included excerpts from the judgments of Viscount
Simonds and Lord Morris of Borth-y-Gest. Footnotes have been
renumbered as appropriate.)

VISCOUNT SIMONDS:

My Lords, as I have already said, the first count in the indictment is "Con-
spiracy to corrupt public morals", and the particulars of offence will have
sufficiently appeared. I am concerned only to assert what was vigorously
denied by counsel for the appellant, that such an offence is known to the
common law and that it was open to the jury to find on the facts of this case
that the appellant was guilty of such an offence. I must say categorically

Reprinted from the All England Law Reports by permission of Butterworth and Co. Ltd.,
London.

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