ABSTRACT
Prostitution1 is an issue which has been much discussed by feminists. Like pornography, it has given rise to lengthy and sometimes acrimonious debates about whether it is inevitably undesirable, why it is undesirable and how (if at all) the law should respond. Unlike the other areas of criminal law discussed in this volume, in the case of prostitution there is disagreement not just about the scope and manner of regulation, but also as to whether criminal law (or any part of law) has any legitimate role to play in controlling this behaviour. As with pornography, the debate has seen feminists divided among themselves2 and sometimes allied with groups whose views on other matters are anything but feminist.
