Fiona Taylor, a former deputy chief constable of Police Scotland, will lead a new Independent Commission on the Criminalisation of the Purchase of Sex, the government announced today.

The move comes after MSPs last month voted down Ash Regan’s Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill – which would have made buying sex a criminal offence – by 64-54.

The Scottish government committed to establishing a commission following a recommendation by Holyrood’s Criminal Justice Committee in their stage 1 report on Ms Regan’s private member’s bill.

Ministers will now work with Ms Taylor to finalise the terms of reference for the commission and a panel of experts will be appointed to support her “in due course”.

However, sex worker-led campaign group Scotland 4 Decrim has said the commission should also consider alternatives to criminalisation.

“This so-called independent commission is anything but, when it is clear that the outcome has already been decided,” a spokesperson told Scottish Legal News.

“Once again the Scottish government claims that lived experience will be centred, but the vast majority of sex workers in Scotland utterly reject the criminalisation of the purchase of sex.

“It is also unclear why someone with an extensive background in Police Scotland has been appointed to lead this commission, when they are one of the perpetrators of violence against sex workers, and sex workers have reported having no trust in Police Scotland.

“The only way to have a truly independent commission is to consider all legal models, and have those currently selling sex represented on the panel.”

Announcing the commission today, Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “I am clear that prostitution is violence against women and girls and the purchase of sex should be criminalised.

“That is why we are following the Criminal Justice Committee’s recommendation to establish a commission to consider how this can be done in an effective, enforceable way while addressing concerns raised that criminalisation could place women at higher risk of violence.

“Women also need to be able to access practical, sustainable support to help them exit prostitution and this will be another strand of the commission’s work, along with what more can be done to challenge and deter men’s demand for buying sex.

“I am very pleased that Fiona Taylor has been appointed as chair. Fiona brings significant experience to the issues and challenges involved in this important area of work, having had a distinguished career including serving as deputy chief constable and interim chief constable of Police Scotland.

“Fiona, like the Scottish government, also recognises the value and importance of lived experience, which will be at the heart of this work.”

Ms Taylor said: “I am grateful to have been offered the opportunity to chair the independent commission tasked with progressing this important matter. 

“I look forward to working with other members of the commission, once appointed, and reporting back to ministers in due course.”