Scotland To Consider Outlawing Prostitution And Paying For Sex After Labour MSP Bid

Will Scotland Make Paying For Sex Illegal?
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The Scottish Parliament is to consider an outright ban on prostitution, after a Labour MSP called for paying for sex in any way to be outlawed.

The new law would make it an offence to pay for sex, building on existing street prostitution legislation, according to Labour politician Rhoda Grant.

She wants Holyrood's Justice Committee to agree to push ahead with her proposed Purchase of Sex Bill, bypassing the need for consultation.

In a written submission to the committee, she argued: "My proposal will make the purchase of sex illegal in Scotland, with the aim of reducing the demand for prostitution.

"In addition, by strengthening the existing legislative framework against purchasers, Scotland should become an unattractive market for prostitution and therefore other associated serious criminal activities, such as people-trafficking for sexual exploitation, would be disrupted."

It is possible for a consenting adult aged 18 or over to have sex with another consenting adult in return for payment without an offence being committed, the committee was told in her briefing note.

Laws already apply to soliciting and loitering, such as kerb crawling.

A previous attempt for a total ban was introduced by former MSP Trish Godman but it was not adopted as part of the Criminal Justice and Licensing Bill. Ms Godman wanted to create three new offences on the purchase, advertising and facilitating of sex.

The Justice Committee considered the proposal through written and oral evidence, prompting Ms Grant to call for the fast-track approach.

She told the committee: "I am keen to pursue the issues consulted on by Trish Godman. However, having considered the detail of the responses, I have refocused my proposal on the creation of an offence of purchasing a sexual activity.

"I am still very supportive of the other strands of Trish Godman's proposal but consider these would be better pursued at a later time, and in the first instance, debate should be focused on the core aim of the proposal."

It's not the first time a Labour politician has tried to outlaw paying for sex. In 2007 Harriet Harman called for the law to be changed in England and Wales, but it appeared to fall on deaf ears.

Buying or selling sex is legal across the UK, however kerb crawling, running a brothel and pimping are all outlawed.