As of today, the law criminalising the purchase of sex will come into effect. This comes after Frances Fitzgerald confirmed she had signed an order commencing certain provisions of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017.
The law passed through parliament last month, despite being the source of a lot of controversy.
Ms Fitzgerald said the provisions target the demand for prostitution.
“I am absolutely convinced that this is key in targeting the wider exploitation associated with prostitution, including the trafficking of persons for the purpose of prostitution,” she said.
“This Act identifies those most vulnerable to sexual exploitation and it targets those who take advantage of that vulnerability.”
The Turn Off the Red Light campaign, an anti—prostitution group supporting the legislation, said it was “a historic day, ushering in a new dawn of protection for the hundreds sexually exploited in prostitution”.
The Future
Now I would redo all those old arguments about how it will drive prostitution underground; about how this isn’t about helping anyone, it is about moralising and trying to paint itself as a ‘good’ act. We could even discuss how Amnesty International is on our side on this one. However, I won’t, as we now have to look towards the future.
Obviously this is a new era and I have no idea how it will end up down south of the border. I know that in Northern Ireland that not one person has been prosecuted for seeing an escort, and that law has been around for ages. However, we don’t know if that will last or not, and we have no idea about enforcement after today’s development. Though personally I wonder whether the police (who do a great job with limited resources) have enough manpower to sit outside independent escorts’ houses to try and bust punters, time will tell when it comes to these things. We will watch the developments with interest.
Since then, he has specialised in articles on the battle for equal rights for sex workers, sexual health, as well as bringing the readers fun news from around the world. He also has a major interest in LGBT rights, and is an active campaigner in this field.
When he isn't fighting the good fight, he enjoys spending time with his girlfriend, and young daughter. He also enjoys reading and taking long walks.
- Singles’ Day: Celebrating Intimacy and Companionship - November 8, 2023
- Get Ready to Celebrate: It’s World Oral Sex Day! - September 6, 2023
- International BDSM Day: A Day of Deviance and Delight! - July 24, 2023
Please log in here to leave a comment.