Ontario's Superior Court dismissed a Charter challenge launched by groups advocating for the rights of sex workers, ruling Monday that Canada's criminal laws on sex work are constitutional.
In a 142-page decision, Justice Robert Goldstein wrote that the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act — brought in by the former Conservative federal government — balances the prohibition of "the most exploitative aspects of the sex trade" with protecting sex workers from legal prosecution.
"I find that Parliament's response to a pressing and substantial concern is a carefully crafted legislative scheme ... The offences minimally impair the Charter rights of sex workers," Goldstein wrote. "The offences also permit sex workers to take safety measures."