Canadian Polyamory Court Case Rundown | Polyamory in the News

The Polyamory in the News blog assembles a whole host of links on the first-ever north american court case to test polyamory rights. The case is in British Columbia and is a challenge to Canada's century-old anti-polygamy law. Polyamorous people are concerned because the law is written so broadly that it can apply to many poly relationships, either people who hold themselves out as married (handfasted, etc) to multiple people or groups of three or more who cohabit. The Canadian Polyamory Advocacy Association has been formed in order to argue the case on behalf of polyamorous people. They have already filed an affidavit and are seeking to fly in poly witnesses from around the country—and they need donations to do so. The blog post also includes the breaking news that the Canadian and B.C. attorney generals have now confirmed that polyamorous people are subject to the law, along with links to current and past media treatment of the case.

Read brief source…[kot-contrib]. (Thanks, pepomint!)[/kot-contrib]

CBC News – Windsor – Craigslist prostitution ads must go: Ontario

Following in the footsteps of an anti-Craigslist, anti-justice dogpile of 17 US Attorneys General, three Ontario cabinet ministers signed a letter to Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster asking him to remove prostitution-related ads from the website in their province. According to a report by CBC News, "The New Democrats said prostitution and human trafficking were serious problems and Craigslist should quickly remove its prostitution-related ads under its erotic services section." In the letter, ministers cited "a simple matter of fairness" for why they want to see the Craigslist section for adult ads censored.

The letter comes on the heels of a recent Ontario court ruling (criticized by anti-prostitution & pro-censorship groups) that found laws against communication for the purpose of prostitution, which Craigslist is a remarkably safe facilitator for, violate Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Read brief source…[kot-contrib]. (Thanks, maymay!)[/kot-contrib]

"It’s a good day," sex workers say in wake of Ontario court decision – Latest News Roundup

Candian sex workers won a victory against anti-prostitution laws in Ontario today as provincial court struck down a number of key provisions in "Section 213(1)(c), which makes it illegal to communicate for the purposes of prostitution; Section 210, which makes it illegal to run a common bawdy house; and Section 212(1)(j), which makes it illegal to live off the avails of prostitution," according to a report at Xtra.ca.

Sex worker rights activists said they were pleased because the laws made it illegal for them to work indoors where they are safer. "While prostitution in itself is not illegal, just about everything related to it is illegal," Stacey Ashley notes in a report at CTV Winnipeg. While the government is "seriously considering" an appeal, Sex Professionals of Canada, plaintiffs in the case, said they would fight the appeal, and would start raising funds.

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