"A divisive debate is currently underway among women’s advocate groups after an Ontario court recently struck down some of the laws restricting prostitution in Canada. Even Aboriginal women’s groups are clashing on the matter.

On Sept. 28, in Bedford v. Canada, Justice Himel of the Ontario Superior Court declared three sections of the Canadian Criminal Code pertaining to prostitution as unconstitutional. Here’s the (146 page!) decision. Bedford v. Canada (Attorney General)

Technically, prostitution was never illegal in Canada, in and of itself. Rather, the three sections of the Criminal Code which were struck down, indirectly made it so. They were:

(1) communication for the purposes of prostitution – Section 213(1)(c)
(2) living off of the sex trade – Section 212(1)(j)
(3) the keeping of a “common bawdy house.” – Section 201

In a joint statement by the Aboriginal Women’s Action Network (AWAN) together with Asian Women Coalition Ending Prostitution and South Asian Women Against Male Violence, the authors claimed that the Ontario Court “abandons Aboriginal women and women of colour to pimps.”"

Get the Story:
Peter Vizcaire: Prostitution Made Legal in Canada – Aboriginal Women’s Groups Clash (Turtle Talk 10/13)