The Supreme Court of Canada has struck down the country's anti-prostitution laws in a unanimous decision, and given Parliament one year to come up with new legislation — should it choose to do so.

In striking down laws prohibiting brothels, living on the avails of prostitution and communicating in public with clients, the top court ruled Friday that the laws were over-broad and grossly disproportionate.

The ruling was in response to a court challenge by women with experience in the sex trade, Terri Jean Bedford, Amy Lebovitch and Valerie Scott.

The top court agreed with an Ontario court ruling that overturned the laws.

The Ontario Court of Appeal had upheld the law against communicating in public, but sided with the lower court in overturning the provisions against living off the avails and keeping a common bawdy house or brothel.

The women in the case had argued that the laws prevented them from safely conducting their business as sex-trade workers, arguing that hiring bodyguards and drivers, and being able to work in private homes or talk with potential clients in public were important to their safety.

Reaction was swift.

"It's a sad day that we've now had confirmed that it's OK to buy and sell women and girls in this country. I think generations to come — our daughters, their granddaughters and on — will look back and say, 'What were they thinking?,'" said Kim Pate, executive director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies.

"To say that [prostitution] is a choice when you're talking about the women we work with is to say that in fact it's OK to just exploit them," Pate said.

"We've never seen men criminalized for buying and selling women and girls. We've always seen women criminalized for selling themselves. We absolutely object to the criminalization of women. Our position would not interfere with those women who truly have made their choices."

Lebovitch said she was "shocked" and happy at the ruling, that women who work in the sex trade won't have to risk their lives any longer.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/supreme ... -1.2471572

perfectly consistent libertarian position.

And a perfectly consistent liberal position, and a perfectly consistent social democratic position, not to mention a perfectly consistent conservative position .....

Your point is?

The point (IMO) is that bad laws need to be struck down regardless of one's views.

Agreed!

too obvious to repeat.

Only because its totally trivial.

i wasn't making a political reference, cattledude. i was making a philosophical one. thus the small "L".