Very important- Northern Ireland consultation/submission deadline 18th October!

[Jack in the Box]

It is heartening that the fight is still being taken to the TOTRL crowd including at the upcoming conference on sex work and the very best of luck to those who are against criminalising.

However it is important that neither the North nor the South support criminalising the clients of sex workers. Apart the obvious fact that it is bad anywhere it would put huge pressure on the other part of the island to follow suit.

Lord Morrow from Northern Ireland has proposed a bill that would include criminalising the clients of escorts. The consultation can be found at the following link which also includes full details about making a submission:

www.care.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/PROPOSED-CHANGES-IN-THE-LAW-TO-TACKLE-HUMAN-TRAFFICKING.pdf


The details include the email address for sending a submission which is:

mauricemorrow@hotmail.com
or maurice.morrow@mla.niassembly.gov.uk

It is important that as many people as possible no matter where they live send in a submission to make known that this is unacceptable.

For anybody that done up a submission already for the Republic’s consultation it shouldn’t require much effort to send one to the North.

Deadline 5pm Thursday 18th October!

[Morpheus]

Thanks Expresso. I totally agree. There shouldn't be criminalization of clients on either side of the border, as one will have repercussions on the other.

And it doesn't matter which side of the border you live on, we should all get involved.

Thanks again for the info.

[the traveller]

Perhaps someone from north of the border could please explain the way the assembly works. I'm not quite up to speed on it but does it not have to be a consensus to get a bill passed in that house? Morrow's bill is a private members bill ( I think ) and I know that Sinn Fein are for legalisation. As I say I'm not really up to speed but I hope someone from the north can enlighten me. But either way I'll re-jig my submission and send it to the Lord himself. I wonder if his is a response to what is happening here in the south and he doesn't want to see sex tourism up there? Which is what would happen if on one side of the border you're a criminal and the other you're not!

[toya]

i will just send the one i saved in my drafts. But its ridiculous they should target the agencies more that you know aint working independently. Instead of wasting the tax payers money on some thing you will never stop!!!

[Banjaxed]

Perhaps someone from north of the border could please explain the way the assembly works. I'm not quite up to speed on it but does it not have to be a consensus to get a bill passed in that house? Morrow's bill is a private members bill ( I think ) and I know that Sinn Fein are for legalisation. As I say I'm not really up to speed but I hope someone from the north can enlighten me. But either way I'll re-jig my submission and send it to the Lord himself. I wonder if his is a response to what is happening here in the south and he doesn't want to see sex tourism up there? Which is what would happen if on one side of the border you're a criminal and the other you're not!

Brief outline from their website: http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/Visit-a...flets/English/

See "Composition" and "Powers and Functions" on this Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland_Assembly

I might be able to put something together as well, and will send it in. It appears the both the DUP and Sinn Fein make up the Executive (the present government coalition) despite their differing stances, so submissions should be sent to both sides to awaken their elected representatives to the issue, and perhaps play them against one another in classic political style.

[harry10]

Perhaps someone from north of the border could please explain the way the assembly works. I'm not quite up to speed on it but does it not have to be a consensus to get a bill passed in that house? Morrow's bill is a private members bill ( I think ) and I know that Sinn Fein are for legalisation. As I say I'm not really up to speed but I hope someone from the north can enlighten me. But either way I'll re-jig my submission and send it to the Lord himself. I wonder if his is a response to what is happening here in the south and he doesn't want to see sex tourism up there? Which is what would happen if on one side of the border you're a criminal and the other you're not!

Private members bills in the assembley have to have all party support to become law.

[Half Man and Half Dildo]

Hey, just a fucking minute, are submissions supposed to be sent to the same guy that proposed the bill?

Lord Morrow from Northern Ireland has proposed a bill that would include criminalising the clients of escorts.....

The details include the email address for sending a submission which is:

mauricemorrow@hotmail.com
or maurice.morrow@mla.niassembly.gov.uk

Something's rotten in Denmark if that's the case

As I've said before twitter is an invaluable source of info\articles and here once again to prove that is an article from Amnesty International no less, which I'm almost certain I found via Laura Lee's twitter account - Northern Ireland: Amnesty responds to Private Members' Bill to tackle human trafficking

"However, Amnesty International is concerned that making ”the paying for sexual services of a prostitute” a criminal offence could run counter to the purpose of tackling trafficking by confusing these related but separate issues and diverting criminal justice resources away from tackling trafficking. It is already an offence in Northern Ireland to pay for sexual services from someone who has been subjected to force,a position which we support.

Needless to say Amnesty's argument is equally valid south of the border.

[Banjaxed]

Hey, just a fucking minute, are submissions supposed to be sent to the same guy that proposed the bill?

That's correct, possibly because it's a Private Members Bill (that is a Bill proposed by a member of the House, not the Executive) and so it can be amended by him or with approval of the House by the Executive. Not sure how it operates in the North, but PMBs are generally doomed to failure down here as regardless of it's merits, the Government majority will not vote to support a PMB of a opposing party.

The only well-known successful PMBs in the South which are the exception were those suggested by Alan Shatter TD in the area of Family Law (his primary practice area) during the time he was in opposition I believe. They are usually just used as a way to get an issue onto the agenda so that it can be debated and attention brought to it.

[Laura Lee]

I will get mine in, although it will be a last minute job as usual. *sigh*

[Jack in the Box]

Received more clarification regarding sending submissions. Any details given will be kept confidential and you don't have to copy the format of the pdf form in the link if you don't want to. Although one of the questions on the form is itching to be ticked no!

Since it is a private members bill hopefully it will go down like a lead balloon but still as many as possible send in a submission to make sure that we kill it!