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Sex work advocates calling for stop to proposed Ontario human trafficking bill
by Michelle LePage
Last Updated May 11, 2021 at 9:58 pm EDT
Queen s Park in Toronto as seen in an undated file photo. CITYNEWS/Hugues Cormier
Advocates are calling on the Ford government to withdraw a proposed human trafficking bill, saying it gives police more power to conduct surveillance on sex workers and discriminate against racialized communities.
Bill 251, the Combatting Human Trafficking Act, is expected to be debated on Wednesday.
If passed, the government says it would give law enforcement more tools to locate victims and charge traffickers, by allowing access to hotel guest registries without a court order and increasing fines.
Clamen and Chu: Sex workersâ rights aren t yet protected under law Current legislation undermines the Charter right to life, liberty, security, equality, freedom of expression and freedom of association. We re challenging it in court.
Author of the article: Jenn Clamen
Publishing date: Apr 08, 2021  â¢Â 18 hours ago  â¢Â 3 minute read  â¢Â Sex workers and their supporters gathered on the front steps of the Supreme Court of Canada building in Ottawa in January, 2012 as they challenged criminal laws regarding adult prostitution. They won their case, but subsequent legislation has still made this work difficult. Photo by Chris Mikula /The Ottawa Citizen
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Last week, the Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform, along with six individual applicants, filed a Notice of Application in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to strike down criminal provisions related to sex work. We contend that the current laws fail to uphold