Northern Ireland has become the first in UK to ban paying for sex. In what was a historic vote, members at the Stormont assembly backed the decision in a late-night vote.
The clause was passed during the bill’s consideration stage by 81 votes to 10 shortly after 11.30pm.
Research published by Queen’s University in Belfast says about 17,500 men pay for sex in Northern Ireland every year.
MPs in UK have been wanting Britain to follow the European Union and introduce tough new penalties targeting customers and pimps who fuel the multibillion-pound sex trade.
MPs across political parties recently urged Britain to follow the model used in Scandinavian countries and penalize customers and agents selling women for sex rather than women who might have been coerced into selling their bodies.
A year-long parliamentary inquiry has concluded that current legislation was ‘complicated and confusing’, with sex workers, rather than punters, often receiving the fines and brought under criminal records. The NI move comes months after a landmark vote saw the European parliament vote in favour of a resolution to criminalize the purchase of sex. Around 343 members of the European Parliament backed a proposal placed by London MEP and Labour spokeswoman for women in Europe Mary Honeyball which recommends the adoption of the Nordic model of prostitution - legalizes selling sex but criminalizes buying it.
EU countries should reduce the demand for prostitution by punishing the clients, not the prostitutes, said the parliament in a non-binding resolution passed.
The clause was passed during the bill’s consideration stage by 81 votes to 10 shortly after 11.30pm.
Research published by Queen’s University in Belfast says about 17,500 men pay for sex in Northern Ireland every year.
MPs in UK have been wanting Britain to follow the European Union and introduce tough new penalties targeting customers and pimps who fuel the multibillion-pound sex trade.
MPs across political parties recently urged Britain to follow the model used in Scandinavian countries and penalize customers and agents selling women for sex rather than women who might have been coerced into selling their bodies.
A year-long parliamentary inquiry has concluded that current legislation was ‘complicated and confusing’, with sex workers, rather than punters, often receiving the fines and brought under criminal records. The NI move comes months after a landmark vote saw the European parliament vote in favour of a resolution to criminalize the purchase of sex. Around 343 members of the European Parliament backed a proposal placed by London MEP and Labour spokeswoman for women in Europe Mary Honeyball which recommends the adoption of the Nordic model of prostitution - legalizes selling sex but criminalizes buying it.
EU countries should reduce the demand for prostitution by punishing the clients, not the prostitutes, said the parliament in a non-binding resolution passed.