Well badly. Its called the Nordic Model, or Swedish Model, or Sex Buyers Law. It first was introduced in Sweden 15 years ago, crossed over to Norway and was last implemented in Iceland, Canada, then NI.
France has been trying to implement the same law, but keeps being chucked out by the Senate (like the house of Lords)
Several Labour MSPs in Scotland have tried to introduce the legislation in Scotland over the last 5 years.
It will be introduced in the Republic of Ireland.
It is the European Parliament strategic way forward on prostitution. A vote instigated by Mary Honeyball was passed in the European Parliament 2 years ago. This said that prostitution was violence against women, and basically all European countries should work towards the Swedish Model,
It is the favourite of the abolitionists. They say decriminalize the seller, and criminilise the Pimps and Johns. The reasoning is that women (they forget the men who sell) are coerced, forced and somehow driven into selling sex. So don't arrest and prosecute them when they sell sex. Instead prosecute all the clients. In this way the seller does not get a criminal record and can get a different job. The client though is prosecuted, embarrassed so won't risk buying sex. This reduces the demand, and the sex industry ends.
What the abolitionists don't get is this policy causes several problems.
Women work in more risky environments as clients are not likely to pass on any identifying information and will only buy where they feel safe. Sellers have difficulty identifying the good clients. Sellers end up having to protect and keep their clients safe.
Because the good clients who are at risk of being arrested stop seeing escorts, the escorts are left with the bad clients, have to work at a lesser rate and are more at risk. To earn money they end up having to taking on clients they would not see now.
The abolitionists don't come up with the well paying jobs for sex workers, so what does the sex worker live on.
The decriminilisation is not true, because the brothel keeping laws are still in place, and two women working together are still prosecuted. The landlords renting accommodation, won't even rent homes to sex workers, so often sex workers end up homeless.
It does not reduce pimps, and actually increases the use of third parties to get clients for sex workers.
You really should write to your MP, say this law causes more harm to sex workers, and that your MP should pledge total decriminilisation of sex work, as in New Zealand.
You could also donate money to the English Collective or Prostitutes to help them campaign. They held a very important information session to MPs in parliament a few days ago.
You could give money to Laura Lee who has started a Judicial Review of the Northern Ireland Law. This is to ask a judge to look at the Sex Buyers law in NI and deem it goes against her human right to safely sell sex. This ultimately should go to the Lords and Strasbourg. If successful it could have a dramatic effect on the safety of those involved in selling sex.
https://www.gofundme.com/3rikpoRemember the present law forbids brothels, so all those escorts selling duos, or parties, can and have been prosecuted for brothel keeping. The law is an arse and needs changing.
