Voluntary sex work not illegal, police can't harass consenting adults: SC
Key points
- The Supreme Court, while analysing the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITPA), observed that the provisions of the 70-year-old law do not empower the police to crack down on adults engaged in voluntary sex work, as the practice itself is not illegal.
- The court further noted that while running a brothel is illegal, voluntary sex workers found during raids should not be victimised or taken into custody.
- Read Full Story Issuing directions to authorities on the rehabilitation of sex workers, a bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan said the police should refrain from harassing adults participating in sex work of their own free will.
- “Its reasoning was simple;
- since such women are engaged in prostitution voluntarily, the question of their 'rescue' does not arise," the bench said, as reported by Live Law.
Quick Summary
The Supreme Court, while analysing the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITPA), observed that the provisions of the 70-year-old law do not empower the police to
Why It Matters
This development is important because it may impact public opinion, policy decisions, and future developments related to Voluntary sex work not illegal, police can't harass consenti.
Key Takeaways
- The Supreme Court, while analysing the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITPA), observed that the provisions of the 70-year-old law do not empower the police to crack down on adults engaged in voluntary sex work, as the practice itself is not illegal.
- The court further noted that while running a brothel is illegal, voluntary sex workers found during raids should not be victimised or taken into custody.
- Read Full Story Issuing directions to authorities on the rehabilitation of sex workers, a bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan said the police should refrain from harassing adults participating in sex work of their own free will.
- “Its reasoning was simple; since such women are engaged in prostitution voluntarily, the question of their 'rescue' does not arise," the bench said, as reported by Live Law.
- The court also stressed that no sex worker should be rehabilitated against their will and that any rehabilitation process should not be coercive in nature, but voluntary on the part of the sex workers.
📌 Source: India Today
The BriefWire