R. v. R.

In R v. R, the House of Lords determined that spousal rape is not exempt from criminal punishment. The defendant, R, was convicted of attempting to rape his wife. He appealed the conviction pursuant to the marital rape exemption under common law, arguing it was not legally possible for a husband to rape his wife. Both the Court of Appeal and the House of Lords upheld the rape conviction, holding that no marital rape exemption exists under English law.