Our position doesn’t ask to be taken on faith. Every claim we make rests on a court ruling, a statute, a published study or a frontline organization — and every one of those sources is here, with a direct link.
Supreme Court of Canada, December 20, 2013 — unanimous (9-0). The Court struck down the principal prostitution provisions because they "impose dangerous conditions on prostitution" and violate the right to security of the person (s. 7 of the Charter). This is the legal foundation of everything we defend. Full text on the Court’s official site.
Reading the law yourself beats every paraphrase — including ours.
The offences created by Bill C-36 (PCEPA, 2014): purchasing sexual services, material benefit, advertising. This is the exact text we are asking Parliament to repeal. Official Justice Laws website.
The human-trafficking provisions — which we support without reserve and want enforced harder. Decriminalizing consensual work changes nothing here: these sections remain.
The federal government’s official position, explained in its own words. We cite what we contest, too — that’s the price of an honest debate.
The act that decriminalized and regulated sex work in New Zealand in 2003 — the public-health regulatory model we draw on. Official New Zealand legislation.
"Global epidemiology of HIV among female sex workers: influence of structural determinants". The series’ flagship modelling: decriminalization of sex work could avert 33–46% of new HIV infections among sex workers over ten years. Permanent DOI link.
"Human rights violations against sex workers: burden and effect on HIV". Documents how criminalization directly fuels rights violations — violence, extortion, the impossibility of recourse. Permanent DOI link.
After two years of global research, one of the world’s largest human-rights organizations concluded that decriminalization is the path that protects best — while demanding the repression of trafficking and exploitation. Official document POL 30/4062/2016.
We are not alone: across the country, organizations led by and for sex workers have carried this file for decades.
Pan-Canadian coalition of sex-worker-led organizations, challenging the constitutionality of C-36 before the courts since 2021.
Montréal organization by and for sex workers since 1995: health, safety, rights advocacy and outreach — the Quebec reference.
Support network for Asian and migrant sex workers. Documents how precarious immigration status becomes the exploiter’s tool — and why safety should never depend on a passport.
An established Montréal parlour whose management agreed to step out of the shadows and speak publicly during the debate over parlour closures — a mobilization told in our mission and documented in our media section.
Every link on this page was verified on June 11, 2026. Scientific sources are cited by permanent DOI; statutes and rulings point to official government sites. Found a broken link, or have a source to suggest? Write to us: info@asmeq.ca.
The sources are here. See what we conclude from them — and why the current law fails the very people it claims to protect.
