Canada Supreme Court strikes down prostitution laws

[Jazzy]

The Supreme Court of Canada has unanimously struck down the nation's anti-prostitution laws.

The high court deemed laws prohibiting brothels, communicating in public with clients and living on the profits of prostitution disproportionate.

The ruling follows a court challenge filed by women who participated in the sex trade.

The justices' decision gives the Canadian government one year to create new legislation.

All nine of the court's judges ruled unanimously in favour of striking the laws down, finding they were "grossly disproportionate".

"It is not a crime in Canada to sell sex for money," Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin wrote in the decision.

But Canada's criminal code currently makes it illegal to keep a brothel, communicate in public about acts of prostitution or live off its proceeds.

Those laws were found to specifically target the community "nuisance" of street prostitutes and their "johns".

"Parliament has the power to regulate against nuisances, but not at the cost of the health, safety and lives of prostitutes," Justice McLachlin wrote.

"The prohibitions at issue do not merely impose conditions on how prostitutes operate. They go a critical step further, by imposing dangerous conditions on prostitution; they prevent people engaged in a risky - but legal - activity from taking steps to protect themselves from the risks."

Under the ruling, the Canadian Parliament has 12 months to rewrite the laws or they will be withdrawn.

Source

What do they want these prostitutes to do? Hand over the money they're making?

 

[Nebulous]

I don't understand why people go to prostitutes in the first place.

 

[Jazzy]

I don't understand why people go to prostitutes in the first place.

Umm, if you don't know the reason by now, I'm not going to explain it to you.

 

[Nebulous]

I don't understand why people go to prostitutes in the first place.

Umm, if you don't know the reason by now, I'm not going to explain it to you.

I wasn't asking for an explanation.