Global News // September 29, 2010
HALIFAX, NS – A Nova Scotia group that supports sex trade workers is celebrating a landmark decision from Ontario’s Superior Court.
The group Stepping Stone has been advocating for the decriminalization of prostitution, saying current laws endanger prostitutes.
On Tuesday an Ontario judge declared three anti-prostitution laws unconstitutional.
The three laws are living off the avails of prostitution, keeping a bawdy house, and communicating for the purpose of prostitution.
The Ontario judge ruled that those laws put the lives of sex trade workers in danger.
The federal government announced Wednesday that it will appeal the court ruling. However, if the ruling stands sex trade workers can move their business inside, hire security, and report crimes against them.
Representatives from Stepping Stone say these changes could prevent the violence and deadly consequences sex trade workers have experienced in the past.
“We know…based on our work here at Stepping Stone that it is going to result in a safer work environment for sex workers to eliminate the violence,” says the Executive Director of Stepping Stone, Rene Ross.
“It’s going to open up communication between sex workers and reporting crimes to law enforcement,” says Ross.
Ross Landry, Nova Scotia’s Justice Minister, says it’s too early to say what impact the Ontario ruling may have in the province.
“It’s a federal issue,” says Landry, “and we’ll see if the government does their appeal and see how it plays out at that point.”
The federal government has 30 days to file an appeal in the case.