Justice Minister Peter MacKay will introduce a new bill to reform Canada's prostitution laws this week — as early as tomorrow.
Sex-trade advocate Terri-Jean Bedford brought the case against Canada's prostitution laws before the Supreme Court of Canada. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)
Last December, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the prostitution laws and gave Ottawa one year to draft new ones.
Since then, the Department of Justice has launched and completed online consultations with the public.
MacKay has said his department has examined several regulatory regimes outside Canada, including the so-called Nordic model, which has been touted by many groups.
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In Sweden, Iceland and Norway, selling sex is legal but purchasing it is not. Police in those jurisdictions focus their attention on pimps and johns.
But MacKay has insisted the forthcoming bill will be a uniquely Canadian solution.
He said the online public consultations showed a "clear majority" of those who took part felt that purchasing sexual services should be illegal.
