Since 1857, a series of obscenity laws known as the Obscene Publications Acts have governed what can be published. There have been several United Kingdom Acts of Parliament of this name:

• Obscene Publications Act 1857
• Obscene Publications Act 1959
• Obscene Publications Act 1964

Of these, only the 1959 and 1964 acts are still in force in the UK, as amended by more recent legislation. They define the legal bounds of obscenity in the UK, and are used to enforce the censorship of obscene material.

Note: Irish law diverged from UK law in 1929, replacing the OPA 1857 with a new Irish act: see Irish censorship law.

Important events in the recent history of the Obscene Publications Act:

• 1960: Lady Chatterley's Lover obscenity trial
• 1971: Schoolkids' Oz obscenity trial
• 1984: Gay's the Word prosecution

See also

• Censorship in the United Kingdom