He led the prosecution of Penguin Books in the obscenity trial in 1960 following the publication of D. H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover.
His much quoted remark in his opening statement as to whether the novel was something "you would even wish your wife or servants to read" is often cited as representing the extent to which the British establishment had fallen out of touch with popular opinion at the time.
He was educated at Eton College and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and was called to the Bar at Middle Temple in 1932, specialising in criminal law.
[9] He led the prosecution of Penguin Books for publishing Lady Chatterley's Lover in paperback format in the obscenity trial held at the Old Bailey from 20 October to 2 November 1960.
A procession of eminent defence witnesses attested to the worth of the novel, and Penguin Books was acquitted of obscenity on 2 November.
In 1963 he was the prosecuting counsel in the trial of Stephen Ward, who was accused of living off the immoral earnings of Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies following the Profumo affair.
After serving as recorder of Grantham and of Coventry, he became a full-time judge in 1964, presiding over criminal cases at the Old Bailey as the Common Serjeant of London until 1979.