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Beliefs about how you live your life, matters of private decision, views best kept for private enjoyment, prejudice or entertainment, can't be imposed by the operation of criminal law. Attempts to enforce such views can only make the government the subject of ridicule.

— John Mortimer

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More quotes by John Mortimer

I suppose that writers should, in a way, feel flattered by the censorship laws. They show a primitive fear and dread at the fearful magic of print.

The shelf life of the modern hardback writer is somewhere between the milk and the yoghurt.

If you can't sleep with your own wife wearing a false beard, what can you do?

A "war against terrorism" is an impracticable conception if it means fighting terrorism with terrorism. The feelings on both sides are not that they are taking part in some evil and criminal act but risking their lives heroically for what they consider to be a just cause.

No brilliance is needed in the law. Nothing but common sense, and relatively clean finger nails.

Voyage Round My Father (1971)

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: John Mortimer (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.