Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Uphold the sex workers' decision

This week the Ontario Court of Appeal is hearing arguments in the case involving three sex trade workers who have asked to have three sections of the Criminal Code, as it is applied to them and others similarly situated, to be declared unconstitutional, upholding an earlier lower court ruling.   It's not really surprising PMS would appeal the decision -- have to cater to his Christianite base after all -- but I am disturbed that Premier Dad would also be appealing.   Seems to me public safety is something one should fight for and not against.   Based on what questions the appeals court judges were asking the fed's lawyer, they're not entirely convinced that the governments have a leg to stand on.

Let me repeat, I don't think prostitution should be completely legalized.  (Actually, technically it already is but the legal restrictions make it impossible to carry it out legally.)   But the status quo is simply untenable.   As long as perpetrators are in a safer legal position than the people they take advantage of it will remain so untenable.   Will it take another Robert Pickton before Harper is convinced?

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