A chronology of Canadian prostitution laws

OTTAWA – A chronology of some key events in the evolution of the country's prostitution laws:

1867: Canada essentially inherits anti-prostitution laws from Britain at Confederation.

1982: Charter of Rights and Freedoms signed into law.

1985: Parliament passes a law barring communicating in public for the purposes of prostitution in an effort to combat streetwalking.

1990: The Supreme Court hands down a reference upholding the street soliciting law, saying eliminating prostitution is a valid social goal.

2002: Police arrest Robert Pickton in a case which would eventually involve the murders of 26 women, most of them prostitutes from Vancouver's gritty downtown east side.

2007: Pickton convicted of six murders and sentenced to life. The trial focuses attention on the plight of street prostitutes.

2009: An Ontario Superior Court hearing opens in a suit brought by three former and active sex-trade workers seeking to overturn the prostitution laws.

2010: Judge Susan Himel strikes down the three key provisions of the laws, saying they were unconstitutional.

2011: Ontario Court of Appeal holds three-day hearing on government appeal of Himel decision.

2012: The Appeal Court upholds Himel on the bawdy house law, modified the living on the avails law to specifically preclude exploitation and reversed her on soliciting.

2013: The Supreme Court throws out all three provisions as violating constitutional guarantees to life, liberty and security of the person. The justices give Parliament a year to craft a replacement law that complies with the Charter.