Section 56
1E+WIn section 36 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956 (permitting premises to be used for prostitution), at the end insert “ (whether any prostitute involved is male or female) ”.
2E+WIn section 1(1) of the Street Offences Act 1959 (loitering or soliciting for purposes of prostitution), after “prostitute” insert “ (whether male or female) ”.
3(1)Section 2 of that Act (application to court by woman cautioned for loitering or soliciting) is amended as follows.
(2)In the heading of the section, for “woman” substitute “ person ”.
(3)In subsection (1)—
(a)for “woman” substitute “ person ”,
(b)for “her” in each place substitute “ his ”, and
(c)for “she” in each place substitute “ he ”.
(4)In subsection (2)—
(a)for “woman” in the first place substitute “ person ”,
(b)for “he” substitute “ the chief officer ”, and
(c)for “woman” in the second place substitute “ person cautioned ”.
(5)In subsection (3), for “woman” substitute “ person cautioned ”.
4(1)The Sexual Offences Act 1985 is amended as follows.
(2)For the heading “Soliciting of women by men” substitute “ Soliciting for the purpose of prostitution ”.
(3)In section 1 (kerb-crawling)—
(a)for “man” substitute “ person ”,
(b)for “a woman” substitute “ another person ”,
(c)for “women” in each place substitute “ persons ”, and
(d)for “the woman” substitute “ the person ”.
(4)In section 2 (persistent soliciting of women for the purpose of prostitution)—
(a)for the heading of the section substitute “ Persistent soliciting ”,
(b)for “man” substitute “ person ”,
(c)for “a woman” substitute “ another person ”, and
(d)for “women” substitute “ persons ”.
(5)In section 4 (interpretation)—
(a)omit subsections (2) and (3),
(b)for “man” substitute “ person ”,
(c)for “a woman” substitute “ another person ”,
(d)for “her” in the first place substitute “ that person ”, and
(e)for “her” in the second place substitute “ that person's ”.