Lady Chatterley's Lover barrister dies

Jeremy Hutchinson was said to be one of the greatest advocates of the 20th Century and the inspiration for Rumpole of the Old Bailey.

Jeremy Hutchinson defended Howard Marks Featureflash Photo Agency

One of the UK's top advocates, Jeremy Hutchinson QC, has died at the age of 102. Mr Hutchinson became known for his involvement in high-profile obscenity trials. He was on the team that defended the publishers of Lady Chatterley's Lover, Penguin Books, which in August 1960 published the first unexpurgated English edition of D H Lawrence's novel. The case was the first major test of the Obscene Publications Act. Other clients included Christine Keeler and Soviet spy George Blake as well as writer and drugs smuggler, Howard Marks. John Mortimer's character Rumpole of the Bailey was partly modelled on him. He was also involved in the notorious case of  'The Romans of Britain', a play which featured sexual acts reportedly causing members of the public to faint and which incurred the wrath of morality campaigner Mary Whitehouse.

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