[SWAF-Potluck] BREAKING: Justice Committee Review of PCEPA Report

[Andrew Sorfleet]


BREAKING NEWS: Canada’s Justice Committee Recommends Parliament Repeal Sections of Criminal Code

Yesterday, June 22, 2022, the Parliamentary Committee on Justice and Human Rights tabled their report: “Preventing Harm in the Canadian Sex Industry: A Review of the Protection of Communities and Exploited Act.”

Parliament begins summer recess today, June 23 and will not resume until September 19.

Here is a PDF of the report:
https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/JUST/report-4

In particular, the Justice Committee recommends repealing two laws:

 Recommendation 3:

“That the Government of Canada amend the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act by introducing legislation to repeal sections 213 [Communicating to Provide Sexual Services] and 286.4 [Advertising Sexual Services] of the Criminal Code.”

The Justice Committee also recommends repealing sections of the Immigration Regulations:

Recommendation 10:

“That the Government of Canada table legislation to repeal sections 183 (1)(b.1). 196.1(a). 200(3)(g.1) and 203(2)(a) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, which unfairly put migrant sex workers at elevated risk of violence and danger by making them unable to report these incidents without fear of deportation.”

There are 17 recommendations total.

Triple-X submitted a brief which received mention on pg. 31 (pg. 41 of PDF):

“Triple-X Workers’ Solidarity Association of B.C.’s brief states that the law does not contemplate sex workers organizing unions or professional associations or the possibility of such organizations collecting membership dues, and providing services such as advertising and promotion of the industry. They call for amendments to clearly permit such organizing by sex workers.”

I believe some congratulations are in order to everyone who made submissions toward some of these victories today. However, we still have a long way to go before Parliament makes any of this real, and even further to go before sex industry work is respected equally, like any other profession in Canada.

In solidarity,
Andrew Sorfleet
Triple-X Workers’ Solidarity Association of B.C.

Sent from my iPhone
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