Sex workers to fight strip club ban in court

Lawyers for United Sex Workers (USW) had applied to the Court of Session on behalf of the United Voices of the World union to be part of a judicial review of the council’s decision to ban strip clubs.

They said the move would put 100 women out of work. The union announced yesterday that it had been successful in joining the case.

“USW are allowed to enter the judicial review to challenge the strip club ban,” it said on Twitter.

“Despite Edinburgh City Council trying to prevent us from participating in the legal challenge – and representing the voices of strippers – we were granted permission to enter the motion today.”

It called on women working in strip clubs in Edinburgh to get involved, adding: “We are excited and are confident that we will be able to make important contributions. They will not close our clubs.”

The case is being brought by the proprietors of three adult entertainment venues in Edinburgh: the Burke and Hare, the Western Bar and Diamond Dolls. The union said that while it supported the position of the operators it “wants to ensure the perspective and rights of directly affected dancers are also heard in court”.

The union will argue that the ban falls foul of the workers’ right to respect for private and family life under the European Convention of Human Rights.

More than 24,000 people have signed a petition to keep the clubs open. A two-day hearing has been set for December 1 and 2.