Review Of The Operation Of Part 4 Of The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017
Background
The Department of Justice and Equality has pursuant to section 27 of The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 commissioned an Independent Expert to review the operation of Part 4 of that Act, which deals with Purchase of Sexual Services.
The existing offences of soliciting for the purpose of prostitution were removed in The Sexual Offences Act 2017 (The Act) with respect to those persons who offer their services as a prostitute. One purpose of the measures introduced in the Act was to provide additional protection to persons involved in prostitution, especially vulnerable persons and victims of human trafficking. The Act allows them to provide information to the Gardaí, for instance where they have been subjected to violence by clients, without fear of prosecution for selling sexual services.
Part 4 of the Act introduced two new offences namely paying for sexual activity with a prostitute and paying for sexual activity with a trafficked person.
The Act was commenced in March 2017 and it includes a provision that a review would take place three years following its commencement.
The intent and goal of the legislation is to protect vulnerable persons. In this context, the review will include an assessment of the impact of the operation of Part 4 of the Act on the safety and well-being of persons who engage in sexual activity for payment, as well as consideration of whether further measures are needed to strengthen protection for persons who engage in sexual activity for payment.
What we are publicly consulting on?
In line with Government policy on public consultation, the Department wants to provide an opportunity for people to give their views on their knowledge of:
- Legislation that aims to protect those offering sexual services and that criminalises the purchase of sexual services
- How the Act has been enforced
- The impact of such enforcement on those offering those services and on the purchaser of those services
- Any other public policy interventions associated with the offering and purchase of sexual services
- Relevant social changes regarding the offering and purchase of sexual services
- The impact of such policy interventions and social changes
- Any perceived barriers to the protection of those offering sexual services and the criminalisation of the purchase of sexual services
- How the safety and well-being of persons who engage in sexual activity for payment may be impacted by criminalising the purchase of sexual services
- Any perceived unintended risks to vulnerable people e.g. victims of human trafficking and others arising from the operation of the Act.
👇 For support reporting to PSNI, sex worker friendly https://t.co/vNUsCCOqCp
— UglyMugs.ie (@uglymugsie) November 13, 2021
Sex worker Harassment, evictions, intrusive surveillance, deportations, arrests, Welcome to Sweden
— Sister Rosetta (@rosetta_sister) November 18, 2021
This thread is a fantastic breakdown of the poorly researched, faulty, and ideologically driven article on sex work in the Guardian today. The “studies” cited have largely been discredited, distorted, or made up. This article is a disgrace. https://t.co/OOvLo3TagQ
— SexWorkResearchHub (@sexworkreshub) November 21, 2021
Free STI Home testing kit now available to people with address in
Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, Laois & Offaly, Cavan, Cork, Dublin, Kerry, Kildare, Louth, Meath, Monaghan and Wicklow
Easy to use, you can order your home test kit at https://t.co/qVpDc8QHTC
#SexualHealth #GetTested pic.twitter.com/E2jV6bA30X— Man2Man Programme (@Man2ManIreland) November 22, 2021
Sex work is often isolating work, as sex workers are forced to work alone to work legally. Over 70% of sex workers in this report feel that isolation affects their mental health. Sign this petition of you support sex worker's mental health https://t.co/7FrC8mdc6e
— Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) (@SWAIIreland) November 22, 2021
Get your tickets to the Annual Laura Lee lecture on the 26th November. This lecture will feature lawyer Wendy Lyons and researchers Trish Leahy and Adeline Berry and promises to be unmissable.https://t.co/VH6iPgLHlj
— Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) (@SWAIIreland) November 21, 2021
Ivana Bacik & Denise Charlton visited Sweden, came home & pushed this model of policing, raving about how well it worked in Sweden.https://t.co/17TAyDccRL
This is how it’s working in Sweden.
It’s what we went through after being raided by the gardaí for the same thing.Thread https://t.co/1t6ujy0Zlv
— Adeline Berry🧜♀️🇵🇸 (@adeline_whitney) October 2, 2021
Gross 🤮
Imagine being a trade Union and siding AGAINST society’s most vulnerable people just trying to get by?!
Where else are trade unions taking their marching orders from nuns and the wealthy elite?#getthefullpicture https://t.co/fioHwXz86Y
— Adeline Berry🧜♀️🇵🇸 (@adeline_whitney) November 23, 2021
Thank you Claire! We are going to need to get on this seeing as we are failed here.
— Adeline Berry🧜♀️🇵🇸 (@adeline_whitney) November 23, 2021
100%. Also these folks.. https://t.co/UwRA2bAKuX
— Claire Mullaly (@ClaireMullaly) November 23, 2021
What people in sex work and people who actually engage with people in sex work well know is that there is hardly any support available for people in sex work who need support.
— UglyMugs.ie (@uglymugsie) November 23, 2021
Sex workers help each other. Sex workers help victims of trafficking. It's commendable how much community support exists. The sex work community can be very proud 💚. But it's not right the lies being told in public by Ruhama etc.
— UglyMugs.ie (@uglymugsie) November 23, 2021
Decent ratio imo pic.twitter.com/Pyyi331jEn
— Katy Montgomerie 🦗 (@KatyMontgomerie) November 26, 2021
Transphobia does not protect women, cis or trans. https://t.co/JvvVWs2TDf
— Adeline Berry🧜♀️🇵🇸 (@adeline_whitney) November 27, 2021
When we were raided gardaí sent the client on his way. Then we were evicted.
Make no mistake, just as Magdalene asylums were designed to punish and exploit “fallen women” so are SW laws pushed by Magdalene NGOs.#getthefullpicture #religioussistersofcharity #goodsheperdsisters https://t.co/O5QV36dfW3
— Adeline Berry🧜♀️🇵🇸 (@adeline_whitney) November 27, 2021
Conflation between human trafficking & exploitation with sexual work is disingenuous
Sexual health professionals must reject moralistic & paternalistic narrative
Criminalisation of sex work harms sex workers - including sex workers in Ireland #SSSTDIhttps://t.co/Coyw07rv7i— Dr John Gilmore (@GilmoreJNurse) November 26, 2021
@wendylyon is giving the keynote speech and she acknowledges the loss of Lyra McKee, one of the few journalists who could be trusted to write about sex work and sex workers in a fair and non-stigmatising way.
— Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) (@SWAIIreland) November 26, 2021
Forever in our hearts 💚 https://t.co/uCHi19HNyy
— UglyMugs.ie (@uglymugsie) November 26, 2021
A fantastic, informed, & passionate thread from @adeline_whitney detailing the failures & harms of the Nordic Model mindset in Ireland ⬇️ https://t.co/Nu607ocnKQ
— RUS - Red Umbrella Sweden (@RedUmbrellaSwe) December 5, 2021