Dr Claire Methven O’Brien said that current laws in Scotland allow “tacit permission or encouragement to perpetrate acts of gender-based violence against women”. 

The University of Dundee academic added that the current approach is in breach of multiple international treaties on discrimination and violence against women.

Her comments come as MSPs are set to vote on stage one of Ash Regan’s Unbuyable Bill next week which, if it becomes law, will criminalise the purchaser of sex. 

In support of Ash Regan’s bill, Dr O’Brien said: “Adopting demand-side or ‘Nordic’ model legislation on prostitution in Scotland, which criminalises the purchase of sexual acts, as proposed by the bill, does not present a risk of non-compliance with the UK’s human rights obligations.”

She added: “The measures proposed by the bill would both resolve a matter giving rise to a persistent breach of international human rights laws in Scotland and contribute significantly to fulfilling international human rights duties owed to women in Scotland and borne by the UK and Scottish governments.”

Ms Regan commented: “I urge every MSP and group to show a fraction of the courage that survivors have for decades and finally listen. Taking decisive steps to support my Unbuyable bill into law in session 6 will take a key, decisive step for real, transformative progress in tackling male violence against women and girls in Scotland.”

“My Unbuyable Bill not only protects women and girls’ human rights in Scotland, but it is also for our boys and men who are criticised for misogyny while seeing mixed messaging in prostitution laws that were last updated nearly 20 years ago. Unbuyable has been acknowledged by human rights experts to go a long way to redressing failures to uphold the human rights obligations for women and girls.”