Criminalisation of the Purchase of Sex in Scotland: Independent Commission

Overview

The Commission was announced in March 2026 by Scottish Ministers, after a recommendation from the Scottish Parliament's Criminal Justice Committee. The recommendation was made in their stage 1 report on the Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill.

The Commission will consider how to safely and effectively criminalise buying sex in Scotland. It works independently of Ministers.

The Commission's work will be informed by the views of people who have experience of prostitution. It will make recommendations to Ministers on:

creating a new criminal offence for buying sex that can be effectively enforced and prosecuted
managing any risks to the safety of people involved in prostitution after any new offence is introduced
providing practical, sustainable support for people with experience of prostitution, including those who wish to leave
further work to challenge and reduce men's demand for prostitution

The Commission will report to Ministers within a year of its first meeting.

If you need support on any of these issues, visit Commercial Sexual Exploitation on Safer Scotland.

Commission members will be appointed in due course.

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