Judge: Pimping, Opening Brothels A-OK in Canada

She guts main rules against prostitution
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 29, 2010 2:12 PM CDT
Canadian Judge Guts Laws Curbing Prostitution
A file photo of a prostitute waiting for a customer.   (Getty Images)

A judge in Canada has struck down the main laws against prostitution, which the Toronto Globe and Mail describes as a landmark ruling that could quickly become law of the land. Declaring that the current laws endanger prostitutes by forcing them to conduct business in iffy locales, the Ontario judge decriminalized three major ones: Openly soliciting customers, pimping, and operating a brothel. (Prostitution itself is legal in Canada, but those laws made most aspects of it off-limits, explains the AP.)

The government may appeal, but the forceful ruling suggests a tough fight. “By increasing the risk of harm to street prostitutes, the communicating law is simply too high a price to pay for the alleviation of social nuisance,” said the female judge. “I find that the danger faced by prostitutes greatly outweighs any harm which may be faced by the public.” All of which resulted in this quote from a dominatrix on the winning team: “I’m going to spank some ass. Legally!" (More Canada stories.)

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