Kembaraxtra-Case Law- Knuller v. Director of Public Prosecutions (1973)

HL

I. Case Summary

• Facts: The defendant (D) published a magazine containing advertisements soliciting homosexual acts among consenting adults.
• Holding: D was found guilty of conspiracy to corrupt public morals.

II. Key Legal Principles & Definitions

A. Conspiracy to Corrupt Public Morals

• Definition of "Corrupt":
• Lord Reid: "Corrupt the morals of such members of the public as may be influenced by the matter published." Synonymous with "deprave."
• Lord Simon: "Conduct which a jury might find to be destructive of the very fabric of society."

B. Outraging Public Decency (Substantive Offence)

• Public Element: "The substantive offence... must be committed in public," meaning before more than one person.
• Threshold: "'Outraging public decency' goes considerably beyond offending the susceptibilities of, or even shocking, reasonable people" (per Lord Simon).