Comstock Law Law and Legal Definition
Comstock law refers to an 1873 federal law. The Comstock law provided stringent rules against mailing obscene or lewd books or pictures. The Comstock law derived its name from an English word comstockery. The Comstock law prohibited the publication of any article providing information on abortion for educational purposes. The law also prohibited anything that is designed for the prevention of conception or procuring of abortions. [18 USCS § 334].
In the U.S., 24 states passed similar prohibitions on materials distributed within the states. Collectively, these state and federal restrictions are known as the Comstock laws.
