EDMONTON – Alberta’s prosecutors are being told it’s not in the public interest to take prostitutes to court, but the Crown should continue to hold johns accountable.
The directive comes from the office of Attorney General Jonathan Denis.
“Our government is committed to building strong, safe communities where vulnerable Albertans are protected from the harms of prostitution and exploitation,” said Denis in a statement.
“The administration of justice is a matter of provincial jurisdiction, and Albertans expect current criminal laws to be properly enforced. Today the Deputy Attorney General issued a directive for Crown Prosecutors in the wake of the recent Supreme Court of Canada decision.
“Those who exploit vulnerable Albertans will be held accountable by the criminal justice system. At the same time, Crown Prosecutors will be able to ensure individual prosecutions proceed in the public interest.
“The Province of Alberta will work closely with the federal government to ensure that any response to the Supreme Court decision – including new federal legislation – protects vulnerable Albertans and holds to account those that try to exploit women and children.”
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A recent Supreme Court ruling found that laws on street soliciting violate a prostitute’s charter rights to safety and security.
The directive says prosecutors still have the final say on what cases to pursue.
Denis says in a news release that his memo reflects a government determined to see justice done while protecting the province’s most vulnerable.
The federal government is rewriting its rules on solicitation in light of the Supreme Court decision.
“I have issued a practice directive to be used while the Government of Canada determines how to respond to the Bedford decision,” added Kim Armstrong, Deputy Attorney General of Alberta. “Although this issuing of a directive is rare, it reaffirms the commitment as a province to protecting vulnerable people from exploitation.
“As Alberta has an independent prosecution service, subject to this limited direction, all decisions respecting individual cases—including what sentence to seek in the event of a conviction—will remain with Crown prosecutors.
“The new directive has been sent to provincial Crown prosecutors and will be forwarded to Alberta’s police services, effective immediately.”
Click here to read more background on the decision.
With files from Global News
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