Prostitution: A
Review of Legislation in Selected Countries18 February
2005
This paper reviews the key legislative approaches to prostitution
in a number of Western jurisdictions. In particular, it examines the specific
laws and/or regulations these countries and states have instituted, and how
they have fared in meeting their objectives.
On the surface, there
appears to be little, if any, common ground among the diverse legislative
directions taken by the countries and states examined in this paper.
Nonetheless, their governments are largely wrestling with the same set of
issues and seeking to balance two often-competing sets of responsibilities. On
the one hand, they attempt to prevent the exploitation of prostitutes by pimps
and clients. On the other, they aim to eliminate the increased crime (e.g.,
illegal drug consumption) and “nuisance” (noise, traffic, etc.) that
prostitution creates in communities where it takes place.
Written by
Karen Hindle and Laura Barnett. Published by the Library of Parliament,
2005. |
