| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales |
|---|---|
Status: Unknown | |
| Text of the Obscene Publications Acts as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. | |
Since 1857, a series of obscenity laws known as the Obscene Publications Acts have governed what can be published in England and Wales. The classic definition of criminal obscenity is if it "tends to deprave and corrupt," stated in 1868 by Lord Justice Cockburn, in Regina v. Hicklin, now known as the Hicklin test.