In 2005, the Canadian government enacted criminal laws against human trafficking. To this day, despite amendments, these anti-trafficking laws lack a substantive basis in empirical evidence and...
Anti-trafficking Laws
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Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA)
On December 6, 2014, Bill C-36—the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA)—came into force, regulating sex work in Canada with the stated aims of protecting sex workers,...
Legislative Frameworks for Sex Work
Canada’s current legislative framework for sex work is an end-demand model called “partial decriminalization”, or the Nordic Model. Partial decriminalization purports to end the demand for sex work...
Bedford v. Canada
Bedford v. Canada was a case challenging the constitutionality of Canada’s prostitution laws. The initial challenge began in 2007 and the final judgment from the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) came...
Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) Sex Work Prohibition
On June 6, 2012, the Conservative Government of Canada put forward amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), with the intention to improve protections
Canadian Sex Work Laws Timeline
An interactive timeline of Sex Work Laws in Canada from Canadian Confederation July 1, 1867 to Government Response to the report of the Standing Committee On Justice And Human Rights October 20, 2022