Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2013

Public bill · Private Member · Introduced

The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2013 would make buying sexual services a criminal offence, while removing criminal penalties specifically for people who sell sex. First-time buyers would receive a €500 fixed fine; later offences could bring fines of up to €4,000 and, for repeat offenders, up to four weeks in prison. The aim was to reduce demand for prostitution and trafficking by targeting buyers, following the approach adopted in Sweden.

Formal long title

Bill entitled an Act to criminalise the purchase of sexual services and for that purpose to make it an offence to engage or attempt to engage a person for the purposes of obtaining sexual services in return for payment and to make it an offence for a person to obtain sexual services by means of prostitution; to provide for an administrative sanction for first-time offenders and to provide for increased penalties and for that purpose to amend the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993 and to provide for related matters

Last updated 20 April 2018