Over at Liberal Conspiracy this week, Jess McCabe has written an excellent piece on prostitution and the necessity to change perceptions around the world towards women. Unfortunately, while everyone could agree wholeheartedly on the issue of women's rights and the need to combat sex trafficking, the well used comments section ultimately divided people on the necessary measures needed to affect change most.

There will always be unethical businessmen and women that try to make their money with illegal sex trafficking, and one has to reluctantly accept the inevitability of some level of this happening. However with a system similar to that which I propose, giving legitimate workers no excuse to not be legal, and the current systems blurring the lines between abused and non-abused workers, I know which I would prefer when it comes to making it easy for law enforcement agencies to crack down own the despicable dark side of prostitution.

Yesterday came the remarkable story of two twins, separated at birth for adoption, yet somehow managed to find each other to fall in love and get married. It would be an amazing tale if not for the fact they are genetically related and living in an age where "incest" is a taboo and illegal regardless of the context. With a court annulling their marriage there is no word (rightfully) on what the two have gone on to do, whether they have been shamed through the existence of the taboo, whether they have been able to overcome the past and forge a new sibling relationship or if indeed they still undertake in their love for one another in a less obvious manner.

The issue takes pace, however when political discussions start to take place that could have a major effect the adoption and reproductive services of this country. Lord Alton, an independent lord, had the following to say...

In bizarre news released today it has been reported that a man has won $750,000 in damages because of "spousal theft". The man, Mr Valentine (seriously, you couldn't make this up could you?), claimed under a law only present in seven states in the US that his wife was stolen from him by one Mr Fitch. Both the local and state supreme court judged in favour of the claimant and left Mr Fitch only one option, to go to the US Supreme court and appeal there against a decision that wouldn't have taken place in the vast majority of the rest of the country. The supreme court refused to listen to his request.

Commons Leader Harriet Harman has told the BBC she wants the law to be changed to make it illegal to pay for sex.

This subject is always a controversial one, and feminists I have seen debate this issue on both sides of the spectrum. However I personally think that in the current climate, and based on my personal opinion, Harriet Harman's statement about changing the law on prostitution is ill conceived. Let's take a look at the rest of the content of this article...

Today Newsbeat on Radio 1 has rekindled the never ending issue about raising the minimum age for consumption of alcohol to 21, staying pretty much in line with previous BBC hosted polls that put the population as being half in favour and half not for the changes. This issue is a particular bugbear of mine, not only with drinking but also with the age of sexual consent and entertainment certification as more than a guideline. As someone who believes in personal liberties I find it discomforting that I should be viewed in the same light as the rest of the population my age and assessed in a generalised manner as to what I can personally deal with; I like to think that kids actually affected by these legal limits feel somewhat the same.

This isn't to say that I don't understand the need for basic levels of protection, to protect rebellious children from themselves if their parents are unable to give them the supervision and guidance they require, however to try and claim that arbitrary age limits on performing certain actions are successful in that task, I feel, is naive and short sighted.

In this article:

• Alcohol limits
• Teen pregnancy and age of consent limits
• Why limits don't make sense