| R v Peacock | |
|---|---|
 Michael Peacock celebrating his victory outside Southwark Crown Court. | |
| Court | Southwark Crown Court |
| Full case name | R v Michael Peacock |
| Decided | 6 January 2012 |
R v Peacock was an English Crown Court case that was a test of the Obscene Publications Act 1959.[1] In December 2009, the defendant, a male escort named Michael Peacock, had been charged by the Metropolitan Police for selling hardcore gay pornography that the police believed had the ability to "deprave or corrupt" the viewer, which was illegal under the Obscene Publications Act. He was subsequently acquitted through a trial by jury in January 2012.
At the time, Peacock was the only individual to have successfully pleaded 'not guilty' under the Act in a case involving the kind of gay BDSM pornography which he published.[1] Legal experts said that, following the case, the Obscene Publications Act now "made no sense".[2] It was also notable as one of the early cases in the English courts where live tweeting was a significant source of reporting and publicising the deliberations of the case following the 14 December 2011 guidance from the Lord Chief Justice which allowed tweeting in English Courts.
- ^ a b Hodgson, Nichi (6 January 2012). "Michael Peacock's acquittal is a victory for sexual freedom". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
- ^ Beaumont, Peter & Hodgson, Nichi (7 January 2012). "Obscenity law in doubt after jury acquits distributor of gay pornography". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 January 2012.