News Story

Scotland’s Justice Secretary has made clear that buying sex “should be criminalised” as she announced a former senior police officer will lead a new commission to consider how this can be achieved.

Former Police Scotland deputy chief constable Fiona Taylor will head the commission, which will look at how to “safely and effectively criminalise the purchase of sex in Scotland”.

The announcement comes just more than a month after Holyrood voted down a member’s Bill from independent MSP Ash Regan which would have criminalised the purchase of sex, while also decriminalising those selling sex.

During that debate, community safety minister Siobhian Brown said “regretfully” the Government could not support that Bill pointing to concerns the proposals could have forced prostitution underground, putting sex workers further in danger.

The new commission will look at how a new criminal offence for purchasing sex that can be effectively enforced and prosecuted could be established.

It will also consider how any risk to the safety of those involved in prostitution could be managed and how best to support those who wish to leave the trade.

In addition, the commission will examine what further work can be done to challenge and deter men’s demand for prostitutes.

The establishment of a commission comes in the wake of a recommendation from Holyrood’s Criminal Justice Committee, which made the call during its scrutiny of Ms Regan’s proposals.

Announcing the establishment of the new body, Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “I am clear that prostitution is violence against women and girls, and the purchase of sex should be criminalised.

“That is why we are following the Criminal Justice Committee’s recommendation to establish a commission to consider how this can be done in an effective, enforceable way while addressing concerns raised that criminalisation could place women at higher risk of violence.”

Ms Constance continued: “Women also need to be able to access practical, sustainable support to help them exit prostitution and this will be another strand of the commission’s work, along with what more can be done to challenge and deter men’s demand for buying sex.”

She added she was “pleased” Ms Taylor would lead the commission, saying: “Fiona brings significant experience to the issues and challenges involved in this important area of work, having had a distinguished career including serving as deputy chief constable and interim chief constable of Police Scotland.

“Fiona, like the Scottish Government, also recognises the value and importance of lived experience, which will be at the heart of this work.”

Ms Taylor said she was “grateful to have been offered the opportunity to chair the independent commission tasked with progressing this important matter”.

The former senior police officer added: “I look forward to working with other members of the commission, once appointed, and reporting back to ministers in due course.”