Decriminalisation of sex work: Court plans hearings

THE Western Cape High Court will hold a special hearing in September after several civil society groups applied to join the case on the decriminalisation of sex work as amici curiae (friends of the court).

- THEOLIN TEMBO

The hearings are set to take place between September 1-2.

In 2022, the Decriminalisation Bill was introduced, but progress in legalisation has been deemed by those affected as too slow, sparking legal action.

After years of delays and no clear timeline for change, a sex worker known as S.H., together with SWEAT (the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce), decided to take legal action.

S.H. and SWEAT filed a case in May 2024 to challenge the laws that criminalise adult sex work, arguing that these laws violate constitutional rights like equality, dignity, safety, privacy, and health.

In the court documents, SWEAT, on behalf of the sex workers, explained that the applicants are challenging the ban and criminalisation of the sale, the offer for sale, and the buying of sexual services by adults.