| Prostitution Reform Act | |
|---|---|
 | |
| New Zealand Parliament | |
| Royal assent | 27 June 2003 |
| Commenced | 28 June 2003 |
| Administered by | Ministry of Justice |
| Legislative history | |
| Introduced by | Tim Barnett |
| Introduced | 21 September 2000 |
| First reading | 8 November 2000 |
| Second reading | 19 February 2003 |
| Third reading | 25 June 2003 |
| Related legislation | |
| Status: Current legislation | |
The Prostitution Reform Act 2003 is an Act of Parliament that decriminalised prostitution in New Zealand.[1][2] The Act also gave new rights to sex workers.[3] It has attracted international attention, although its reception has been mixed.[3][4] The Act repealed the Massage Parlours Act 1978 and the associated regulations.[5]
The Act was introduced as a member's bill by Tim Barnett after being drawn from a ballot. Members were allowed a conscience vote, and on 25 June 2003, the bill passed its third reading by a margin of one vote (60–59), after the country's only Muslim MP, Ashraf Choudhary, voted to abstain, thereby allowing the bill to narrowly pass.
- ^ "Prostitution Law Reform in New Zealand". New Zealand Parliament. July 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
- ^ Healy, Catherine (20 June 2018). "Commentary: New Zealand's full decriminalisation means police and sex workers collaborate to try to reduce violence". The BMJ. 361: k2666. doi:10.1136/bmj.k2666. ISSN 0959-8138. PMID 29925627. S2CID 49335554. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
- ^ a b Armstrong, Lynzi (29 May 2017). "Decriminalisation is the only way to protect sex workers – New Zealand has proved it". The Independent. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
- ^ Bindel, Julie (30 April 2018). "Prostitution is not a job. The inside of a woman's body is not a workplace". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
- ^ Prostitution Reform Act 2003, Part 4 Miscellaneous provisions