From the Publisher

The libel and defamation laws in this country are so ill-defined and protective of the status quo and lawyers so much in disagreement about what may constitute defamation that we've had a hard job deciding what to do We do know that the courts would be hard on author, publisher and printer of this book if they had half a chance. We don't want to give them that chance, nor pay out thousands to conservative members of the establishment. So, where it is possible that a judge of our Supreme Court could direct a jury that a passage may possibly have a defamatory meaning, we have inserted a . You may call it playing safe, we just want to publish more books like this, while creating an environment in which the laws of defamation, libel and contempt of court may be liberalised.

Where a passage may possibly be construed as obscene, we have inserted a . but you will note that this Is used sparingly and we fully expect to be taken to the Indecent Publications Tribunal anyway.

Publisher's note

- Bullshit & Jellybeans -

"Jack and Jill went up the hill
to (Bleep)
Jack (Bleep)
And broke his (Bleep)
And Jill came tumbling after"

"Jack and Jill went up the hill
to (Bleep)
Jack (Bleep)
And broke his (Bleep)
And Jill came tumbling after"

Nursery Rhyme

Traditional

"It is a joke. It may not be a very good joke, but I maintain that even the funniest joke in the world, after you (the prosecutor) had finished with it, would not be very funny. The sexual part is of little importance."

"Of little importance?" asked the Prosecutor "The sexual part is of little importance," repeated the witness. "The main point about it is that Rupert Bear is behaving in a way one would not expect a little bear to behave."

"Yes," said the prosecutor "But what sort of age would you think Rupert is to your mind; what sort of aged bear"

Witness:- "Oh I'm very sorry, I'm not up to date with bears".

The Or Trial

Tony Palmer

Jack/and what happened in the end, who took it?

Tim/ none of them, we sort of had to do it ourselves, just a young guy - he's really just a sort of editor, he's doing it, and a few other people and myself, mostly a Wellington group, under Alister Taylor.

John/ you know Jack, we find there's far more censorship by publishers and printers than by the Tribunal.

Tim/yeahhh, believe it or not even typesetters will damp down - we had that problem. These typesetters got hold of the text and they kept it for 10 days and then said they wouldn't do it. You see why Hoffman has got all disillusioned and cut his hair off, y'know, not that I agree, but you see why you do get disillusioned at times with long-hairs because we went to this typesetting firm place, there were all these reel long haired hips and they say "gidday mann, how ya goin" y'know and "Hi! doin' a book eh man?" and all that, and these really groovy birds and I thought what a terrific place y'know all these young wild kids working here. And they wouldn't do it. Their boss just said "No it's indecent". And they all went "O well you know, that's the way it goes man". O jesus. I said look at you working here, you're just slaves. And we went to another place and they set it and they were corny old doddery men - real conservative short beck and sides and they said yeah, OK, and they are just doing it without any trouble.

Jack / What's it called ?

Tim/"Bullshit and Jellybeans"

Shadbolt interview

Earwig No.6

Judge: What's the problem now?

Leary: Kinky is another word the witness (Richard Neville Editor Oz) doesn't like.

Judge: Which one (advertisement in School Kids Oz) are you looking at now?

Leary: My Lord the one that starts: "The Adults Revue".

Judge: Oh, so sorry. I was looking at Voyeurs, Homosexuals, Lesbians.

Leary: My Lord, sorry. Rubber gear, men dressed as maids, leather gear, all perversions

The Oz Trial Transcript

"Now I'm into my next book. I'm looking forward to receiving lots of letters"