Against the Law (book)
| Company type | Publication |
|---|---|
| Industry | Literature |
| Founded | 1955 |
| Founder | Peter Wildeblood |
| Products | Book |
Against the Law is a 1955 publication by Peter Wildeblood that recounts the "Montagu case"—the legal proceedings involving Wildeblood, Michael Pitt-Rivers, and Edward Montagu, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu—charged with homosexual offenses and Wildeblood's subsequent incarceration.
Wildeblood was one of the earliest men in the UK to openly acknowledge his homosexuality. He campaigned for changes to the legal framework surrounding homosexuality and advocated for prison reform.
Summary
Wildeblood candidly states, "I am a homosexual," emphasizing that it is unlikely to be changed and should not be regarded as shameful or immoral.
After commencing studies at Oxford, Wildeblood enlisted in the Royal Air Force, where he developed friendships spanning various social strata. Following pilot training in Southern Rhodesia, he served as an RAF meteorologist. Returning to Oxford after the war, he embraced his sexual identity and pursued careers in writing and journalism, including authoring a successful farce about the groundnut scheme. While working at the Daily Mail, he led a double existence: "compelled to be dishonest, living one life during my working hours and another when I was free."
He portrays the concealed "homosexual world" within private clubs and public houses. Wildeblood met Lord Montagu and began a relationship with Eddie McNally, an RAF corporal; they spent time at Montagu's beach hut alongside John Reynolds and Michael Pitt-Rivers.
Wildeblood references a 1953 article from the Sydney Morning Telegraph describing a "Scotland Yard plan to crack down on homosexuality in London," influenced by American initiatives aimed at removing homosexuals from government positions due to security concerns—a reflection of US purges within the State Department.
During an earlier trial, police manipulated passport evidence belonging to Montagu. On 9 January 1954, Wildeblood was taken into custody without a warrant; his residence was searched, and he was pressured into composing a statement without legal representation. This statement was subsequently deemed inadmissible. He retained a solicitor willing to contest police evidence, which was uncommon at that time.
Correspondence between Wildeblood and McNally served as prosecution evidence; McNally and Reynolds testified for the Crown in return for immunity.
Wildeblood wrote:
I resolved to admit my homosexuality... I intended to contribute to [future inquiries]. This would have been impossible had I denied everything.
He acknowledges support from his parents, a taxi driver who accompanied him to court, public sympathy favoring Lord Montagu, and eventual acceptance from neighbors. A Sunday Times editorial recognized that existing laws "do not reflect a significant portion of private opinion."
Wildeblood served his sentence at Winchester—where prison staff misunderstood him—and later at Wormwood Scrubs. He refused offers of exile following his release. While incarcerated, he formed a bond with Dan Starling, a gypsy burglar.
He depicts harsh prison conditions: clogged toilets, unheated cells, and restricted access to educational programs. After completing his sentence, he attended a House of Lords debate in which government officials dismissed calls for legal reform.
Subsequently, Wildeblood was allowed to present evidence to the Committee of Homosexual Offences.
Reception
Initially released by Weidenfeld & Nicolson and later issued in a paperback edition by Penguin in 1957, Wildeblood intended to reach a broad audience at an affordable price. Sir Allen Lane, the founder of Penguin, ensured that copies were distributed to every Member of Parliament.
The work garnered commendations from Ian Gilmour in The Spectator and D. J. West in the International Journal of Psychiatry. Conversely, James P. Whyte Jr., writing for the American Bar Association Journal, faulted Wildeblood for neglecting the importance of the family unit within society and the necessity of legal frameworks that uphold it as a pillar of social order, as well as for underestimating limitations on various sexual behaviors.
Adaptations
This book served as the basis for two significant docudramas: Channel 4's 2007 production A Very British Sex Scandal and the BBC's 2017 series Against the Law.