We will not know the full significance, for legal practice, of the acquittal of Simon Walsh of possession of extreme pornography for some time. However, the way the case has unfolded allows us to challenge some of the claims made by academic legal theorists who either supported legislation banning possession of extreme pornography, or at least felt that the concerns raised by so-called “liberal fundamentalists” (such as myself) were somewhat overwrought or unjustified.