In a chambers at Inner Temple, Martin Polden sat opposite John Mortimer QC, who was surveying an upside-down photograph with bewilderment. “I suppose it’s a question of how you look at it,” said Mortimer, his head tilted to one side.
It was November 1968 and the black-and-white photo depicted John Lennon and Yoko Ono standing with their arms wrapped around each other, naked. They wanted to use it for the cover of their new album Two Virgins but were unsure whether they would be in breach of the laws of decency, so they approached Polden, a renowned civil liberties solicitor who had defended them before. Polden in turn sought the advice of Mortimer, who was well-versed in matters of public morality and would go on