Disorderly Houses Act 1751
This criminalises brothels and sex
parties. Off street work is much safer than street work, but escort
agencies, massage parlours and saunas are criminalised by aspects of
this legislation, making them areas that attract organised crime.
Sex workers are also vulnerable to this
law at private addresses and in their own homes, especially if they work
in groups of two or more. This legislation undermines sex workers'
ability to occupy living premises, so it undermines family life and
promotes personal isolation and homelessness.
Brothel legislation also affects street
workers, as many prefer to take clients indoors. Indoor locations offer
far more safety for the sex worker, reduce neighbourhood nuisance, and
allow for basic hygiene practices to take place. Indoor premises can
also incorporate security devices to monitor clients.
Vagrancy Act 1824
It is an offence for a common
prostitute to wander in a public street. It also covers riotous and
indecent behaviour by a common prostitute in public.
Town Police Clause Act 1847
It is an offence for any person keeping
any house, shop, room or any place of public resort for the sale or
consumption of refreshments of any kind, knowingly to suffer common
prostitutes to assemble and continue there. An example of this could be
making it technically impossible for sex workers to sit together in a
cafe. It could also be used against organisations offering drop-in
facilities for sex workers where refreshments are available.
Offences Against the Person Act 1861
This criminalises the marking of a
person during S&M and piercing for pleasure. It is a human right to
consent to having your body marked or decorated as you wish. Many
transgender prostitutes offer S&M and domanatrix also offer such
services at considerable legal risk to themselves and others.
Sexual offences Act 1956
The Sexual offences Act 1956 prohibits
controlling prostitution and living off immoral earnings.
Support groups argue that the
appropriate legislation to use against exploitative pimping are the laws
against rape, kidnap, assault, threats to kill and abduction. Currently,
an abusive male may claim in defence that his victim was a sex worker.
Instead of counting in his defence, this should count as an aggravating
factor, especially if the victim was also a minor.
Nobody has the right to coerce anyone
else into doing what they don't want to do and appropriate legislation
should be used. The European Convention will be useful in this.
Moreover, current legislation aimed at
controlling prostitutes can in principle be used against maids and
employed health workers who advise sex workers on ways to practise
prostitution more safely and/or provide items such as condoms.
The controlling prostitution aspect can
also be used against those running massage parlours, saunas or escort
agencies. The role of the manager or manageress can be very important in
protecting sex workers, for example by making condoms available,
providing security devices, keeping records of abusive customers.
Street Offences Act 1959
The Street Offences Act 1959
criminalises soliciting. Street work is dangerous and this legislation
(together with the Sexual Offences Act 1985) increases the vulnerability
of street workers by criminalising this activity. These laws do not
prevent prostitution. Even when enforced with maximum police resources,
street activity is simply moved from one place to another.
The Licensing Act 1964
The The Licensing Act 1964 prohibits
landlords and bar staff serving a working prostitute.
