Ontario's top court strikes down ban on brothels

[Lucy Goosey]

3. Prostitution wasn't illegal, per se...

Prostitution is technically legal, but all sorts of associated things were not - soliciting, living off the proceeds of prostitution (except for the prostitute herself/himself), operating a brothel (which was defined in such a way that just taking a client indoors = breaking the law).

The court decided to strike down the brothel statute and modify the "living off the income" statute (to prohibit exploitative pimping, but allow bodyguards or receptionists, etc.), because it determined that both impeded sex workers' rights to "security of person" as guaranteed by Canada's constitution.