SWEAT welcomes court decision to allow 16 NGOs to be part of case related to decriminalisation of sex work

CAPE TOWN - The Sex Worker Education and Advocacy Task Team (SWEAT) has welcomed the Western Cape High Court's decision to allow 16 NGOs to be part of a case related to the decriminalisation of sex work.  

Sixteen NGOs made applications to argue in the case as "friends of the court" for and against the decriminalisation of sex work.

READ: SWEAT confident sex work will be decriminalised in SA soon

SWEAT on Tuesday welcomed the court's decision despite arguing on Monday for the number of legal teams arguing in the case to be minimised.

Presiding Judge Andre Le Grange on Tuesday concluded an amicus hearing after 16 NGOs applied to join SWEAT's case to decriminalise sex work as "friends of the court".

Le Grange ruled in favour of the NGO's and decided to allow all sixteen legal teams to argue in the case.

SWEAT spokesperson Megan Lessing said it's happy with the outcome.

"We are very happy, even though some of them have now been admitted as respondents in the case because there were no respondents opposing, and everybody has a right to have their say. So, we're going forward."

Lessing said legal teams now had until later in September to provide evidence before the matter goes to trial in the second quarter of next year.