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ARTICLE · 15 JANUARY 2014

Supreme Court Strikes Down Canada’s Prostitution Laws

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In a unanimous decision authored by the Chief Justice of Canada, the Supreme Court has upheld lower courts decisions striking down some of Canada’s prostitution laws as unconstitutional.

CanadaGovernment, Public Sector
Nina Butz
Nina Butz
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In a unanimous decision authored by the Chief Justice of Canada, the Supreme Court has upheld lower courts decisions striking down some of Canada's prostitution laws as unconstitutional. Though prostitution itself is not illegal in Canada, there are a myriad of criminal laws that confine prostitution to either street prostitution or "out-calls".

Section 210 makes it an offence to be an inmate or owner or landlord of a bawdy-house or brothel. Section 212(1)(j) makes it an offence to live on the avails of another prostitution (i.e., pimping). And section 213(1)(c) makes it an offence to stop or communicate with someone in a public place for the purpose of engaging in prostitution.

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