THE DAILY MAIL

London, England

6 October 1932

"LAUGHING TORSO."

COURT REFUSES TO STOP WOMAN'S BOOK.

Mr. Justice du Parcq in the Vacation Court yesterday refused an application for an injunction to restrain the further publication of a book by Miss Nina Hamnett entitled "Laughing Torso."

The book was published by Messrs. Constable and Co., Limited, and printed by Messrs. Charles Whittingham.

When the matter was before Mr. Justice Lawrence last month it was stated that Mr. Edward Alexander Crowley, of Albemarie-street, Piccadilly, W., an author known as Aleister Crowley, who is the plaintiff in the action, complained of certain passages in Miss Hamnett's book which, he said, were untrue.

The publishers then gave an undertaking to suspend publication until the matter again came before the court.

Mr. Justice du Parcq, referring to one passage complained of, said: "This is not only a libel, but an obscene libel. It may be that it is a criminal libel, and it is possible that it was a criminal offence to publish it, even if it were not a libel.

"If these words could be said to constitute an obscene libel, there is a way of preventing their further publication. I have nothing to do with that."