Ontario court legalizes brothels

[stopstaaron]

This is surely to anger harper mad.. probably best he tries to rewrite the laws.. but he should be careful it doesn't get struck down

later on... i still dont know if i agree with this.. i like Swedens approach to prostitution better

Ontario’s top court has legalized brothels and pimping that is specifically aimed at protecting prostitutes.

In a landmark decision today, the 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.

The court left intact just one of three key provisions that had been challenged by three current or former prostitutes. It said that communicating for the purposes of prostitution will remain illegal.

Yet, even that provision narrowly escaped being struck down.

In the court's only point of disagreement, Mr. Justice James MacPherson and Madam Justice Eleanore Cronk argued that the communication law is unacceptable because it forces street prostitutes to hurriedly negotiate with customers without first being able to size them up.

The refusal of the three other judges to strike down the communication law will likely go a long way to still the fears of politicians and residents who worried about an influx of prostitutes overtly proposing prospective clients in the streets.

The case will inevitably be appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada. A final decision is likely to be at least a year away.

The Ontario appeal court said in Monday’s decision that the bawdy house provision must be struck down in its entirety.

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.

The other three judges presiding in the case were Mr. Justice David Doherty, Madam Justice Kathryn Feldman and Mr. Justice Marc Rosenberg.

Click link to read the rest

http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontarios-top-court-legalizes-brothels-pimping-in-bid-to-protect-prostitutes/article2381372/?service=mobile

Edited March 26, 2012 by stopstaaron

[Boges]

Actually the ruling said pimping is illegal.

http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/1151925--prostitution-law-ontario-s-top-court-allows-brothels-but-soliciting-ruled-illegal

They also agreed the law dealing with “living on the avails” of prostitution was unconstitutional, but chose to amend it, saying that the prohibition would still apply “in circumstances of exploitation

Which is essentially what pimping is.

[stopstaaron]

Actually the ruling said pimping is illegal.

http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/1151925--prostitution-law-ontario-s-top-court-allows-brothels-but-soliciting-ruled-illegal

Which is essentially what pimping is.

"Pimps" will now have to work with prostitutes instead of now having them work for them

or the prostitutes can hire bodyguards and work on their own

[Shakeyhands]

I plan to start immediately! I mean, there must be work for a bald, overweight and mid forties guy... right?

[stopstaaron]

I plan to start immediately! I mean, there must be work for a bald, overweight and mid forties guy... right?

Ya you can be a safety inspector at a nuclear power plant

Edited March 26, 2012 by stopstaaron

[Boges]

"Pimps" will now have to work with prostitutes instead of now having them work for them

or the prostitutes can hire bodyguards and work on their own

So they're sex worker agents?

[stopstaaron]

So they're sex worker agents?

Why not? Do you have a problem with agents?

[Boges]

Why not? Do you have a problem with agents?

yes

[Guest Derek L]

I plan to start immediately! I mean, there must be work for a bald, overweight and mid forties guy... right?

Do you have a Pink Cadillac? And is your name Lester?

[stopstaaron]

This could actually work in McGuinty's favour. He can tax prostitution and make a lot of money to reduce the deficit.

[stopstaaron]

What could the conservatives do here? They can't make it all illegal. The courts would just strike that down again

any thoughts?

http://www.canada.com/news/Feds+review+legal+options+following+prostitution+court+ruling/6360636/story.html

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government is reviewing its legal options following an Ontario court ruling that swept aside some of Canada's anti-prostitution laws on the grounds that they were placing restrictions on the ability of sex workers to protect themselves.

[stopstaaron]

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/03/26/ontario-eyes-appeal-of-brothel-ruling

TORONTO - Ontario will strongly consider appealing a court decision that ends a brothel ban, but federal legislation may be required to resolve the issue, Attorney General John Gerretsen says.

“We’re still in an appeal period right now and it may very well be appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada,” he said Monday.

The Ontario Court of Appeal has ruled that legislation prohibiting brothels is unconstitutional.

Gerretsen said he does not believe that public opinion in Ontario would support this type of activity.

“Our main concern is that people feel safe in their communities,” he said.

If the law needs to be rewritten, it will fall to the federal government to do so, Gerretsen said.

PC Leader Tim Hudak has said he hopes that the Dalton McGuinty government will make it very clear that it would appeal the court decision to legalize brothels in the province.

“This is not in keeping with the values of the vast majority of Ontarians,” Hudak said Thursday.

[stopstaaron]

This poll is from 2009

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/macleans/what-canadians-really-believe-opinion-poll

In a related survey, the pollster asked other questions dealing with the Ontario case. Allowing prostitutes to work indoors or in brothels won the support of half of Canadian women surveyed and 71 per cent of the men. Half of Canadians think actions surrounding prostitution should be legalized to allow adults to engage in consensual prostitution. Again there is a gender divide, with 62 per cent of men but only 40 per cent of women agreeing with the idea. While many of the arguments in the case are related to safety, the pollster notes in an analysis, "Canadian women are, at this point, not convinced that decriminalization is the solution."

Edited March 26, 2012 by stopstaaron

[PIK]

It seems that now the courts will have to prove if he is a good pimp or a bad pimp. What is wrong with these judges.

[Boges]

It seems that now the courts will have to prove if he is a good pimp or a bad pimp. What is wrong with these judges.

Pimps that wear top-hats and furcoats need not apply.

[Jack Weber]

I plan to start immediately! I mean, there must be work for a bald, overweight and mid forties guy... right?

There's niche market for everything,kiddo!

[Wild Bill]

I plan to start immediately! I mean, there must be work for a bald, overweight and mid forties guy... right?

"Fred Garvin - Male Prostitute!"

Shades of Saturday Night Live@

[Guest Manny]

I think a lot of the girls are in big trouble with drugs and they deserve better, a chance to get out of the life they've put themselves in, for one reason or another.

Better doesn't mean jail, but it shouldn't mean being ignored or left to the streets. Some of them want to be there and that's their choice, but some of them who are runaways that made dumb choices as kids get caught up in a cycle of drug use and prostitution. Just wish the government would pay a little more attention to problems like that, do something useful. Not just make it illegal and look away, that does nothing. Those who think like Harper are just uncaring assholes.

[Shakeyhands]

Do you have a Pink Cadillac? And is your name Lester?

Pffft... I meant as a sex WORKER!

I think I'll change my handle to Candy...

btw... bought an SR-22 with a red dot a few weeks ago, wicked fun out with the kids. Still had to register it btw.

[Shakeyhands]

"Fred Garvin - Male Prostitute!"

Shades of Saturday Night Live@

{thumbs up emoticon}

[Jack Weber]

Pffft... I meant as a sex WORKER!

I think I'll change my handle to Candy...

btw... bought an SR-22 with a red dot a few weeks ago, wicked fun out with the kids. Still had to register it btw.

"Candy" hands?

[stopstaaron]

Any ideas on what the conservatives are going to do? Other than appealing to the supreme court of Canada and losing again there

They have a year to fix legislation on this the courts have said

What can they do?

[dre]

What could the conservatives do here? They can't make it all illegal. The courts would just strike that down again

any thoughts?

http://www.canada.com/news/Feds+review+legal+options+following+prostitution+court+ruling/6360636/story.html

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government is reviewing its legal options following an Ontario court ruling that swept aside some of Canada's anti-prostitution laws on the grounds that they were placing restrictions on the ability of sex workers to protect themselves.

What could the conservatives do here?

Well... if you want to get a pretty good idea, try to think of the stupidest thing possible... some piece of backwards reactionism that puts us behind most of the industrial world and makes Canadians look like retards.

Youll end up in the ballpark at the very least.

[dre]

Any ideas on what the conservatives are going to do? Other than appealing to the supreme court of Canada and losing again there

They have a year to fix legislation on this the courts have said

What can they do?

Any ideas on what the conservatives are going to do?

They will double down in criminalization even if they believe the courts will strike it down. That way they can tell their social conservative base and they did their best but activist judges on the libral courts struck them down.

Mandatory prison sentences for prostitutes, johns, and pimps would not suprise me even one bit, and would bolster the conservative adgenda to grow the prison industry until its a healthy percentage of GDP.

Edited March 27, 2012 by dre

[WLDB]

I think the court made the right choice. I imagine it'll eventually end up in the Supreme Court which will be interesting.

Its about time. The government should not be telling consenting adults what they can and can not do with each other.