| Short Title: | Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951 |
| Parliament: | Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Type: | Act |
| Year: | 1951 |
| Long Title: | An Act to repeal the Witchcraft Act, 1735, and to make, in substitution for certain provisions of section four of the Vagrancy Act, 1824, express provision for the punishment of persons who fraudulently purport to act as, spiritualistic mediums or to exercise powers of telepathy, clairvoyance or other similar powers. |
| Statute Book Chapter: | 14 & 15 Geo. 6. c. 33 |
| Introduced By: | Walter Monslow (Private Members Bill) |
| Replaces: | Witchcraft Act 1735 |
| Repealing Legislation: | Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 |
| Status: | Repealed |
| Original Text: | http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/14-15/33/enacted |
The Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951 (14 & 15 Geo. 6. c. 33) was a law in England and Wales which prohibited a person from claiming to be a psychic, medium, or other spiritualist while attempting to deceive and to make money from the deception (other than solely for the purpose of entertainment). It repealed the Witchcraft Act 1735, and it was in turn repealed on 26 May 2008[1] by Schedule 4 of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008[2] implementing the EU Unfair Commercial Practices Directive 2005 which targeted unfair sales and marketing practices. It also changed section four of the Vagrancy Act 1824 to ensure that it is still enforced with the acts.
There were five prosecutions under this Act between 1980 and 1995, all resulting in conviction.[3]