Is it illegal to read pornography in public?

[Strontium]

Not that I want to, but if I was to sit on, say, a train reading a pornographic magazine, would I be committing a crime?

If not, then why? Surely there's an obscenity issue?

If so, then where is the line drawn, so Page 3 and Zoo magazine are acceptable, but hardcore material not?

Just want to stress here, this is purely curiosity! Plus the fact that nobody I've asked seems to know either.

[andy-hughes]

I don't know the legal ins-and-outs, but i would suggest that the law being broken would be one of displaying obscene material, which is an offence. So, if your book or magazine had a plain cover, there would be no problem, but if it was a lurid picture, then you would indeed be breaking the law.

The line is crossed if you are displaying erect penises, visible labia, or more or less any kind of sex act.

If you are smoking as well, you are guarenteed to get arrested!!!

[felinechums]

Not only is it not illegal to read pornography in public, it is also not illegal to go into your local library and log onto porno websites. The staff may tell you off, but you can tell them that they are infringing your human rights as a user of the library. I know this because I have had frequent arguments with my local authority about men using porn sites in the library where children are often present.

[Strontium]

But then you're corrupting a mnor aren't you?

[Drisgirl]

Depends on whether you had thick specs and a mac on!

Seriously if someone flashes in public he gets arrested (erect penis or committing an obscene act) I should imagine that the same would apply re the mag as it is being done in public I suspect for personal gratification.It should as everything else be done in the privacy of your own house.I can think of a couple of exceptions but that is between consenting adults - and I dont want to degenerate your Q:)

[noxlumos]

I dunno there are some very famous pornographic artwork's showing coitus, surely if it was illegal to view pornography publicly they wouldn't be in art galleries?

Plus at least at the newsagents in our village porn mags are on public display albeit on the top shelf, but still perfectly visible.

[Drisgirl]

Nox- are they not wrapped in cellophane (or whatever its called0 now?It is in Scotland - must be a duller for the paper boys:)

Has anyone noticed that they are not on sale in the majority of Newsagents now.My pal and I used to go into the local newsagent and ask for Escort or Fiesta (we knew they werent there as we had checked the top shelf) because we knew the guy would get a redder.Dont reprimand me - it was funny but we managed to maintain a straight face so he didnt think we were having a laugh.That sounds terrible now - last time was 2 weeks ago - we do have quarterly intervals so we dont arouse (sorry!) suspicions.

[Morrisonker]

One thing that always disturbs me is the amount of pornographic magazines for sale in airport newsagents. Can you imagine being on a long haul flight with a guy reading porn beside you? Why on earth do they sell it there of all places?

[Grunty]

The Obscene Publications Act 1959 creates the offence of publishing an obscene article. Publication, I would suggest, includes putting it on display in a train (see andy-hughes' comments on whether it is on display). The definition of obscenity stresses that the work "taken as a whole" must "tend to deprave and corrupt". The subject is obviously more complex than this, and many decisions have been made by the courts. Each case would be decided on its facts, but you see the general idea.

[Buenchico]

Very few prosecutions have ever succeeeded under the provisions of the Obscene Publications Act.

If the circumstances you refer to were to come before a court, it's likely that the offence would be cited as "committing an act outraging public decency". This is an indictable offence.

Chris

[Fish Kid]

It certainly shouldn't be - especially if like me you view the human body as an art form.

[stanleyman]

Are Escort and Fiesta motoring magazines Drisgirl? I'm not ashamed to say I usually go for Landrover Monthly, the centrefold is really dirty.