Canada's highest court strikes down all current restrictions on prostitution

[Are_grits_groceries]

@BBCBreaking:
Canada's highest court strikes down all current restrictions on prostitution, including ban on brothels and street soliciting
http://bbc.in/1gKCP70

Heads blowed up north of the border.

[jberryhill]

1. Well, that'll make things easier on the Toronto mayor

[stevenleser]

2. Oh boy. Here we go.

It would be nice if there could be a reasonable discussion on this. I doubt that is possible, so...

[marmar]

9. "I doubt that is possible, so..."

Looking at some of the responses, I think you're right.

[Baclava]

3. I'm having visions of girls in moosehide mukluks in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Sex tourism on snow machine tours in the Yukon?

[KurtNYC]

4. WOW -- 'It is not a crime in Canada to sell sex for money.'- Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin,

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/supreme-court-strikes-down-canada-s-prostitution-laws-1.2471572

Case was brought by a dominatrix and a sex workers advocate (lawyer?).

[SidDithers]

5. The court granted a one-year grace period for Parliament to redraw legislation...

during that year, all current laws remain in full effect.

Toronto Star article here:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/12/20/supreme_court_of_canada_strikes_down_federal_criminal_prostitution_laws.html

OTTAWA—In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court of Canada has unanimously struck down as unconstitutional the entire scheme of criminal laws against the buying and selling of sex by prostitutes, saying it endangers the lives and security of vulnerable sex workers.

However, the country’s top court has given Parliament a one-year grace period to redraft a legislative scheme that could pass constitutional muster.

That means if, 12 months from today, the federal government has not redrawn the laws to address the court’s concern that they are too arbitrary, overbroad and “grossly disproportionate,” then prostitutes will be allowed to legally practice their trade, hire drivers, bodyguards, accountants and screen their clients freely.

In the meantime, the Criminal Code ban on brothels, living on the avails of prostitution and communicating for the purposes of prostitution remain in full effect.

Police may continue to lay charges and courts may prosecute.

Sid

[stevenleser]

6. Right, but those laws do not criminalize prostitution, only certain things like brothels

and public advertising are illegal.

[SidDithers]

10. Yup...

Prostitution is legal in Canada. The issue brought by the plaintiffs was that the laws that are tangential to prostitution in Canada were creating an unsafe environment for sex workers engaging in a legal activity. The "living off the avails of prostitution" law meant that sex workers couldn't legally hire security, client screeners or drivers. The "bawdy house" law meant that sex workers couldn't legally set up an indoor fixed location, which forced many onto the streets, a much more dangerous way to conduct their business.

It's going to be interesting to see what Parliament comes up with over the course of the next year.

Sid

[geek tragedy]

8. How likely is that they actually enforce the laws now that they've been

deemed hostile to human freedom, etc?

Big winner in this is those who make money off of prostituted women.

[SidDithers]

11. The plaintiffs believe that this is a good ruling for sex workers...

because they'll be able to hire employees to make their transactions safer.

I would suspect that existing laws about coercion and procuring will still be enforced, and will make up a big part of whatever Parliament comes up with in a year.

Sid

[geek tragedy]

12. We'll see. People with money stand to lose money if the law gets changed now.

That's usually the best recipe for gridlock.

[geek tragedy]

7. Will Canada bring back its sex trafficking visa that was used to legally import

sex slaves for years?

Good time to be a 1%er in the sex industry there.