What Legislation Should Govern Prostitution and Related Activities? (If You Favour Decriminalisation, You Should Indicate Whether You Think Any Legislation Is Needed to Regulate Prostitution.)

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“Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.’” (New International Version Bible, Matthew 21:31). Two of the oldest forms of income – sex and taxes, quoted from as far back as the bible and treated within the same breath to the same extent. Yet within modern day society, they are viewed in drastically different ways. Taxes are a well-established government run and monitored institution on both a national and global scale within individual countries; prostitution however, is viewed overall – if based on the percentage of countries to legalise the activity – as an unwanted institution. To fully, explore, understand, and comment upon this socially unaccepted activity; however, one must first define both what it is and what it is not. Prostitution is a form of sex work – this referring to a section of industry in which individuals are paid for services in which sexual commerce is exchanged for profit or temporary goods (shelter, food, protection). This definition of sex work therefore including professions such as pornographic actors/ actresses, page 3 girls etc., due to the sexual nature of the services required to receive payment in these positions (Merriam-Webster, 2011). These services however, have become legitimised by regulations and laws – the Sexual Offences Act 2003 prohibits topless modelling or pornographic images or movies to include individuals below the age of 18; the same can be said for pole dancers and strippers within licenced premises, as well as stripper-grams or Kiss – a – grams. The line between these legalised activities and prostitution although increasingly narrow –has been previously established due to the above professions and activities already presiding within a structured legal framework. These activities therefore will not be focused upon within the

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