The Government Bill in the Parliament in 2006

The Government Bill on criminalizing purchase of sexual services was introduced to Finnish Parliament on 22 December 2005. The Bill is based on the proposal made by the working group of Ministry of Justice in 2003. (Press release of the Ministry of Justice, 3 July 2003)

Most of the Government Bills that are introduced to the Parliament are also passed and made into laws. According to the information we have about our MPs earlier comments and activities we can estimate that about half of them will vote for the Bill.

The activists of Salli have been working hard to make politicians understand the problems in the proposed law. The argumentation for the Bill is mainly based on the assumption that criminalizing of buying of sex has helped Sweden to reduce prostitution and trafficking.

According to the information we have this assumption is not realistic. Instead the Swedish model law has created more problems.

We are hopefull that we are able to make so many Finnish parliamentarians to understand the difficult and controversial realities of sex business that there will not be majority for the Government Bill to criminalize buying of sex.

The legal affairs committee of the Parliament will probably start working on the Government Bill in February 2006. If the Parliament is in the favour of criminalizing purchase of sexual services, the proposed law can be passed and come into effect already in 2006.

The debate and argumentation is very similar than its has been in Sweden or other countries. Still there has been some difference between Finland and Sweden, because in Finland politicians (at least some of them) listen to sex workers and Salli has been asked to give comments alonside with other organisations. In Sweden sex workers are not even listened to.

However it would be very welcome if individuals and organizations all over the world would contact Finnish politicians and express their concerns about the Government Bill to criminalize purchase of sexual services in Finland.