Ontario legalizes brothels for sex trad workers' safety

[tenni]

Ontario’s top court(Supreme Court) has legalized brothels and will allow prostitutes to have security and other staff that is specifically aimed at protecting prostitutes.
In a landmark decision today, the (Supreme) court said that prostitution is extremely dangerous work where inherent risks are multiplied by laws preventing prostitutes from working together under one roof or hiring security staff.
Commencing next year, a five-judge panel said unanimously, prostitutes in any part of the province can work legally in brothels that will be operated like ordinary businesses.
As of April 25, they can engage bodyguards or security staff.
However, it said that it had been able to remodel the pimping law by adding a single phrase. It said that it will remain illegal to live off the avails of prostitution, but only “in circumstances of exploitation.”
The change will allow police to prosecute violent and manipulative pimps while at the same time permitting prostitutes to engage drivers or security staff to protect them, the court said.
In the one area of disagreement – the law that prohibits communicating for the purposes or prostitution -- the three majority judges said that the provision has largely worked to prevent disorder in the streets and neighbourhoods.
Eliminating street prostitution has prevented men and women from being subjected to unwanted solicitation and has helped police control drug trafficking, public intoxication and organized crime, they said.
“The record is clear that the safest way to sell sex is for a prostitute to work indoors, in a location under her control,” they said.

The Crown will doubtless apply for a stay from the Supreme Court. But until they do - and until and unless the Supreme Court grants one - the decision will take effect in a year.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle2381372/

[unicorn_factory]

That is a step forward. I thought prostitution was legal in all of Canada? The prohibition of soliciting is hypocritical, though. Why not just zone it, like any other business? But, it is better than Sweden`s laws where it`s legal to be a prostitute, but illegal to be her client! :D

[Jobelorocks]

Better to regulate and help keep the women and their clients safe. Being an prostitute is very dangerous. Not to mention if they are legal prostitutes you can have them get regular STD testing which is good for them and their clients.

[tenni]

The act of prostitution was legal in Canada. There are elements around prostitution (such as operating a brothel, living off the avails of prostitution(pimping), and solicitation for the purpose of prostitution-street prostitution) that were illegal. Escort service has been legal as I understand it but I'm not sure how that worked legally. For the past year or so, the entire legality of all events around prostitution were unclear and so police tended not to charge until the Supreme Court made their decision.

Jobel
It is the safety of both female and male sex trade workers..not just female sex trade workers. This includes dominatrix as one of the leaders is a dominatrix. Dominatrix also fell under prostitution but some dominatrix objected to it being seen as prostitution.

[Jobelorocks]

Ok, Tenni. I just said women because the tend to make up the majority of sex workers.

[goldenfinger]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNlwE...eature=related
From NG

[DuckiesDarling]

Good on Ontario for legalising brothels to keep the various prostitutes safe or at least safer in the profession they practice. Too often prostitutes are the first victims of serial killers and the easy target for people who won't lash out at the real cause of anger at home. So hopefully, these men and women who have to do the work to provide for themselves will be able to do so in safer circumstances with safer clients and hopefully without being taxed so much it's easier to work under the table. I have always felt an empathy for prostitutes as often times wives and husbands too, to be fair, are pressured into having sex when they don't want to have sex. Yet these men and women do it every day regardless of personal feelings about the partner they have to please because they need to pay their bills. It's a job and I'm glad to see Ontario is making it safer for them to work.