Panel discussion: Where next for Canada’s prostitution law?

Now that some of Canada’s prostitution laws have been struck down, what should happen next?

Should Parliament try to find a way to re-enact bawdyhouse, street solicitation and “living off the avails” laws or are the laws that remain on the books good enough? What about alternatives such as a new law that targets only johns, or no law at all? How can and should police practices change now and into the future?

The University of Manitoba’s Centre for Human Rights Research hosts a panel discussion to explore the legal options in light of research on what is happening elsewhere in the world.

Who: Prof. Karen Busby (law), Dr. Shawna Ferris (women’s and gender studies) and Jennifer Richardson (child sexual exploitation expert).
When: 2:30 p.m., Mon. Mar. 10, 2014
Where: Room 206, Robson Hall, Fort Garry campus, University of Manitoba

“Some of our students will go on to careers in politics or where they help governments draft laws and regulations,” said Busby, who is an expert on laws connected to sex, sexuality and violence. “This is a chance for them to wrestle with a topical issue on which everyone has an opinion but there are no easy answers.”

Ferris said sections of Canada’s prostitution law were struck down because they violated sex workers’ right to safety. “Let’s not design a new law that again increases the risk of serious harm.”