SWOP NT emphasises that sex workers are the key stakeholders in the industry and therefore are best

placed to evaluate any regulatory systems. As a peer program, SWOP NT is opposed to any regulation that will inhibit sex workers’ ability to work safely, and this includes reduced access to services. Sex workers within the SWOP NT program do not support the existing legislation specific to sex work that criminalises sex work in South Australia. SWOP NT supports the full decriminalisation of sex work which enables sex workers and operators of sex work businesses to be able to choose compliance with the states existing business legislation.

Sex workers as the key stakeholders, and health and legal professionals all over the world have endorsed decriminalisation of sex work to ensure sex workers’ human rights are actively supported. The holistic decriminalisation of sex work has now been ratified as best practice by respected academics and organisations including Scarlet Alliance, the Australian Sex Workers Association2 , the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 3 , The Lancet medical journal, Amnesty International, the Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers (APNSW)4 , and the Network of Sex Worker Projects (NSWP). These all recognise the value of decriminalisation and the failure of licensing models in effectively regulating the sex industry.

The definitive word on sex industry licensing in NSW comes from The Kirby Institute’s 2012 Report to the NSW Ministry of Health, which states that licensing is a ‘threat to public health’ and should not be regarded as a viable legislative model.5

Read the full submission here:

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