Prostitution in Canada

In Canada, prostitution itself (exchanging sex for money) is not illegal, but most activities surrounding it (such as operating a brothel, being found in a brothel, procuring or soliciting in a public place) are illegal, making it difficult to engage in prostitution without breaking any law.

The following activitires are illegal:

• owning, running, occupying or transporting anyone to a bawdy house (ss. 210 [6] and 211 [7]); a "bawdy house" means a brothel and is defined as "a place that is kept or occupied, or resorted to by one or more persons, for the purpose of prostitution or to practice acts of indecency" [6]
• procuring or living on the avails of prostitution (s. 212 [8]),
• paying for sex from anyone under the age of 18,
• public communication for the purposes of prostitution (s. 213 [5]); a public place is defined as "any place to which the public have access as of right or by invitation..... and any motor vehicle located in a place.... open to public view"
• bringing someone to Canada to work as a prostitute,
• bringing someone from Canada to work as a prostitute outside Canada.

Private communication (telephone, e-mail etc) for the purpose of prostitution is legal. Soliciting is a public place or in a "bawdy house" is illegal, which means that soliciting in a street, park, bar, club, massage parlor etc is illegal. Automobiles are also considered public space if they can be seen.

Prior to 1972 only women could be charged with working as a prostitute.

In Canada, prostitution and sex work is also known as the "sex trade".

68% of Canadians say that prostitution is "immoral". [7]

External links

• The International Encyclopedia of Sexuality
• The Canadian Encyclopedia
• ProstitutionResearch.com
• Criminal Law
• "Decriminalize sex trade: Vancouver report", CBC.ca, June 13th, 2006
• "Vancouver sex-trade laws blasted: 'Once the lights go out here, man, it's brutal. It's crazy'", globeandmail.com, June 14th, 2006
• "Woman found dead near Edmonton linked to sex trade", CBC News, May 19th, 2006
• "New cases may be linked to Alberta sex-trade killings", CBC News, May 17th, 2006
• "Suspect in death of sex-trade worker has history of violence", CBC News, May 10th, 2006.
• "Pleasure and Pain: Inside the Sex Trade", The West Ender, July 31, 1997
• History of Sex Work in Vancouver (downloadable PDF book written by sex workers)
• Sex Trade Workers in Canada
• Vancouver prostitutes incorporate Canada's first sex industry co-op