prostitution law court challenge canada The new court challenge launched by Dominatrix Terri-Jean Bedford and two other sex trade workers on October 6, 2009 attempts to alter prostitution laws of Canada specially provisions outlawing communication for the purposes of prostitution, living off the avails, and keeping a bawdy house. It is argued by Bedford’s lawyer, Young, that ss.210 (bawdy house), 212(l)(j) (living on the avails) and 213 (1)(c) (communication) of prostitution law violate s. 7 of the Charter and are thus unconstitutional. Yong further argues that the current legal system "create an alliance between the Government and the black market whereby the government permits the lawful pursuit of prostitution but forces the prostitute to rely upon the black market, the criminal element, to supply the services needed to conduct this business in a safe and secure environment". In an interview published as a part of a media series called 396 Policing Prostitution, Bedford speaks of her motivations for starting this challenge arguing that there are only a couple of laws regarding health and safety that she is addressing. Bedford speaks to the media saying that finds her job safe because she always have someone with her a body guard or a maid and that there are security measures that can be implemented. She further argues that there are “few” vulnerable women who are forced in to the business but such thing is not prominent. She backs this claim up by saying that if prostitution by force was prominent, it would become front page news every week. Its only fear and there is nothing to fear but the fear itself. Her claim contradicts the statistics from statistic Canada that shows prostitutes start their carrier in their early to mid-teens and live a life of exploitation, violence, substance abuse and disease from there on. According to an international panel, called global march against child labour, 70 to 80% of those involved in the Canadian sex industry began as children and hence are not granted a choice nor they choose to stay prostitute because they want to as Bedford claims . The statistics further shows that About 12, 16-30 year old, Asian girls and women are trafficked into Canada each week on visitor's permits and sold into prostitution. Those sold into prostitution are often forced in to debt-bondage and work in brothels. Such women do not have access to the security measures that Bedford so carelessly talks about nor have a security guard accompanying them at all time. The situation of these women hence will not improve even if prostitution was recognized by law. Anine Benedet, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, U.B.C who specializes on violence against women, argues that legalization gives men a right to demand sex and hence would increase Canada’s online advertisement. But it really cannot change what type of space prostitutes occupy and hence does not help with the workers who work in unsafe areas. Furthermore she argues that decriminalization turn prostitution in to a business and pimps will be business men who can advocate for their “right”. Benedet further argues that the current challenge does not look at the ways in which prostitutes have been criminalized for the exploitation of their body and would further take the blame from those buying sex and place it on those selling. Perrin professor of law, UBC further agrues the the challenge would provide a unidirectional protection to pimps johns and traffickers while doing little to ensure the safety of women. ThePolicing Prostitution part 2 interviews Patricia, a former sex trade worker who speaks of her own experiences and the experiences of her friends. Patricia argues that even with security prostitutes are at the end lonely. It was not the part of the law to beat and rape prostitutes it was the men who abused their power. It was not about where the women are but it was about who in that location was that made it unsafe for workers. Patricia hopes for abolishment of prostitution through providing women with choice and security not with decriminalizing it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IupxQy_Yru8&feature=related http://www.rapereliefshelter.bc.ca/issues/new_legal_challenges.html http://www.globalmarch.org/worstformsreport/world/canada-2002.html

AfD nomination of Bedford's court challenge to Prostitution Law

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