NT sex worker records ‘should be destroyed’, says NT Law Society

SEX worker records should be destroyed as part of a plan to overhaul the Territory’s outdated prostitution laws, according to the NT Law Society

Sex worker records should be destroyed as part of a plan to overhaul the Territory’s outdated prostitution laws, according to the NT Law Society

SEX worker records should be destroyed as part of a plan to overhaul the Territory’s outdated prostitution laws, according to the NT Law Society.

Under the current laws, sex workers employed by escort agencies are required to register with police.

Natural hair and eye colour are logged, along with descriptions of any tattoos or other distinguishing features.

Once workers are on the register, they’re there for life, even decades after leaving the sex industry.

Law Society NT chief executive Kellie Grainer said that should be scrapped as part of the Labor Government’s plan to decriminalise the industry.

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All records, including “biometric information such as fingerprints” should be destroyed, she said.

“This information should not be kept on NT police or national police databases,” Ms Grainger wrote.

The Gunner Government ­intends to decriminalise the sex industry by lifting the NT’s longstanding ban on brothels and reforming its outdated and confusing legislation.

One model put forward through the Government’s discussion paper would require brothels to be licensed except for one-person brothels or “small operations”.

But the Law Society advocated for a fully decriminalised model with no licensing component.

“Decriminalising sex work does not mean having an unregulated industry,” Ms Grainger wrote.

Sex work could be “regulated adequately” through existing planning, workplace health and safety, taxation and industrial laws, the submission read.

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“Sex workers are generally marginalised from mainstream society because their work continues to be heavily stigmatised.”

“The aim of a fully decriminalised model is to ensure that all people who undertake sex work for money or for trade are not working in a criminalised environment, reduce the stigma for workers and better facilitates crimes committed against sex workers being reported.”

The Law Society also advocated for legislation which would ensure brothels were accessible to people with disabilities.