Alan Shatter - Review of Legislation on Prostitution:

[Half Man and Half Dildo]

http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/JELR/Pages/PR12000033

Shatter Review of Legislation on Prostitution

Responding to comments earlier today from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation calling for criminalisation of the purchase of sexual services, Minister Shatter re-iterated his determination to ensure that everything that can reasonably be done to combat the exploitation of vulnerable persons through prostitution and human trafficking will be done.

Ireland has strong legislation to combat the scourge of human trafficking for sexual exploitation. The Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act 2008 gave effect to Ireland’s obligations in various international instruments to criminalise human trafficking. The trafficking of persons for sexual exploitation, including prostitution, is a criminal offence and those convicted of such trafficking are liable to life imprisonment. In addition, it is an offence under the legislation for any person to knowingly solicit or importune a trafficked person, in any place, for the purpose of prostitution.

In the case of prostitution legislation, there are a number of offences directly aimed at protecting prostitutes from exploitation. Under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993, it is an offence to organise prostitution, coerce or compel a person to be a prostitute, knowingly live off the earnings of a prostitute, or keep or manage a brothel. In addition, the solicitation offence in the legislation is targeted at buyers, sellers and third parties, such as pimps. Buyers as well as sellers are liable to prosecution and the same penalties apply.

Strong as the law is, there is always room for improvement and the law on prostitution is currently being reviewed with a view to enhancing the protection of vulnerable persons.

Commenting on the review, Minister Shatter said: "As part of this review, I announced in the Autumn that I would be arranging a consultation process on the future direction of prostitution legislation. A detailed discussion document to facilitate the consultation process is being prepared. It will be appreciated that the discussion document, if it is to fully inform the public, needs to be prepared carefully. It is expected that the document will be ready in the coming weeks.

This is an issue which affects individuals and communities. It is also a societal issue. There are differing and genuinely held views on this matter. Public debate should be open to the widest possible audience and I want to ensure that everyone who wishes to make a contribution to this important debate is given the opportunity to do so. That is the reason I have decided on a consultation process before charting the way ahead. To help inform the debate, I have already published my Department's report on Swedish legislation criminalising the purchase of sexual services. This is available on the Department's website (www.justice.ie).

I look forward to the results of the consultation process, which I expect will get under way shortly".

13 February, 2012

I'd imagine that this consultation process will be talked about on Pat Kenny's week-day radio show, it wouldn't do any harm therefore to have contact details for the show on hand so that a text or email could be sent whilst he's discussing it -or anytime Ruhama are on for that matter - in the hope that it might be read out on air.

Email: todaypk@rte.ie

Text Us: Text the word TODAY followed by the comment to 51551
N.I. and Britain: Text the word STUDIO followed by the comment to 80889

On-air Phone: 1850 715 900
GB & N.I.: 0845 7857777
Fax: 01 208 2634

I've listened to several interviews with independent escorts on Niall Boylan's late show and maybe they or someone they know would also be willing to speak on air to Pat Kenny too if it could be arranged. The more people know about the consensual aspect of the industry the better.

I don't think people here should be waiting for Ruhama to always make the first move and then respond to it.

Have a nice week-end :-)

- The Human Dildo

[beniktt]

The Sunday Times has an article called Red Light for punters can't find a link but it says that the discussion process is under way since last week in relation to changing the law. So here we go it's coming and Pat Kenny has always been seen as the voice to get the ball rolling.

[Edwood]

So annoying..Ireland has such a backwards narrow minded thinking view of everything..

[Casanova007]

This bit - "combat the exploitation of vulnerable persons", I can safely say we're all for, so that would leave about over 650 girls exempt, because they are being forced into it by Fine Gael's ridiculous taxes, or are independent and willingly doing it to earn some money because the money can be good.

Closing websites etc is pointless as it pushes it underground and another website will pop and rightly so, I can't get a bloody girlfriend, so what other choice have I got, BUT to visit girls.

Ruhama needs to justify it's funding. If Ruhama REALLY cares, then CUT their government funding and make them a VOLUNTARILY organisation. See how long they last.

Cas

[Dub Lad]

So annoying..Ireland has such a backwards narrow minded thinking view of everything..

Yes on everything.

/sarcasm

[mellors]

Quite agree with both the OP and Brock.
Ruhama and the like are going to be well prepared for this debate, you can guess how its going to be presented , draging out trafficked girls, how the pimps (probably some seedy looking Romanian) are controlling the industry, statistics being manipulated and generaised etc etc.
It would be good to be pre-emptive rather than just being on the backfoot and reacting to Ruhama etc. These type of moral majority trype organisations tend to shout down the opposition and shout louder.

[Franken996]

The government amendment on prostitution has said that what the nuns are calling for can not apply because the Swedish offence appears to be one of strict liability.

Strict liability cannot apply because the Supreme Court has ruled that a defence must be possible. There are difficulties in the irish jurisdiction in establishing offences of strict and absolute liability.

If the Swedish approach were adopted in the irish jurisdiction, one party only to a two-party transaction between consenting adults would be guilty of an offence. The buyer only would be culpable and subject to penalty, with all that entails. The buyer would have no defence in law and the seller would not commit any offence in respect of the receipt of a consideration for sexual services.

Therefore its unconstitutional to try and chastise the male, just because the nuns seek to remove the rights of the females to be advertising and selling sex to the male in the first place. The nuns don't care about escorts because they don't like the idea of escorts advertising sex. Thats why their anti-prostitution campaign hates escorting websites.

The anti-prostitution campaign is foolishly trying to fight the internet, the phone companies, the irish constitution and consenting adults.

Brock- this is interesting point I hadn't heard before- had a quick look but can't find any directly relevant info;
> Do you have a link??
cheers!

[Lucy Chambers]

Brock- this is interesting point I hadn't heard before- had a quick look but can't find any directly relevant info;
> Do you have a link??
cheers!

It has been brought up before, just use the search function. You must be able to defend yourself uinder the constitution, therefore a strict liablility law is unconstitutional.

[Half Man and Half Dildo]

Good evening all.

Brock has summed it up perfectly.

The problem is that we need to get the essence of what was said in that post out to as many people as possible if we are to have any hope of defeating this.

I know this is a long shot but has anyone looked at the possibility of getting an ad or something like it in a national newspaper via the SWAI, I'm willing to donate to the costs of something like that via one of the independent Irish girls I know.

[Casanova007]

Quite agree with both the OP and Brock.
Ruhama and the like are going to be well prepared for this debate, you can guess how its going to be presented , draging out trafficked girls, how the pimps (probably some seedy looking Romanian) are controlling the industry, statistics being manipulated and generaised etc etc.
It would be good to be pre-emptive rather than just being on the backfoot and reacting to Ruhama etc. These type of moral majority trype organisations tend to shout down the opposition and shout louder.

and if you throw a TRUE uindependent into the argumen, someone who is doing it for themselves, Ruhama will turn a blind eye. How much funding does Ruhama get anyways?