Jan. 16 (Bloomberg) -- John Mortimer, the creator of the humorous Rumpole series about an attorney, has died at the age of 85 after a long illness, the BBC reported on its Web site.

Mortimer combined his careers as a barrister and dramatist for several decades after writing his first radio play in 1957, the BBC said. As an attorney, he appeared for the defense in the obscenity trial over ``Lady Chatterley's Lover'' in the 1960s, according to the U.K. broadcaster.

Last Updated: January 16, 2009 07:14 EST