Anti-Witchcraft and Tarot (Fortune Telling) Laws

Australia Wide



More information found here  http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/russell/457/laws.html
In many states in Australia it is still illegal to practice Witchcraft, or to perform Tarot readings or the like (Fortune Telling).  Some states have repealed these laws, but some have not.  This is a summary of what the above website has to say about each state.  I have not checked whether it is currently accurate or not. 

NSW

Witchcraft Laws - repealed in 1969
Fortune Telling Laws  - repealed in 1979

It would appear that neither of these are offences any longer.



ACT

Witchcraft Laws  - It would appear from the article that they have not been repealed.  However they do have an anti-discrimination Act (unlike some other  states).  I am unsure of the exact wording of that Act, but the Freedom of Religion Act basically says that it is unlawful to prevent someone from  lawfully pracitcing their  religion... so if Witchcraft is illegal, it is not technically lawfully practicing it....
Fortune Telling Laws - unsure

I will look into the wording of the Discrimination act (and their Witchcraft laws), as I am unsure of how effective the anti-discrimination act would be.



QLD

Witchcraft Laws  - Still Illegal (almost the same wording as the Victorian law).
Fortune Telling Laws - I was under the impression that this was repealed recently, although this article includes it in the law, so perhaps it wasn't.

According to that article, it is illegal to practice Witchcraft in Queensland, and Tarot Reading.  I will look up the law myself at a later stage.



SA

Witchcraft Laws  - repealed in 1991
Fortune Telling Laws - repealed in 1991, and later ammended to include (basically) anyone intending to defraud people, using Clairvoyant or similar means is now an offence.

It would appear that Witchcraft is legal in SA.  The use of the word "intent" could be taken to mean that so long as the reader/Clairvoyant etc. was not intending to commit fraud, it is not unlawful.



NT

According to the article, there are no laws concerning either.



TAS

The article says this:

"The Police Offences Act 1935, Section 8(1)(g) which pertains to fortune telling; the Criminal Code Act 1924, Sections 119-121, concerning crimes relating to religion, which however, may be offset to some degree with the Constitution Act 1934, Section 46, providing for freedom of religion. "

I don't quite understand that, but I believe it is saying that while they both are still technically illegal, as with ACT, it could be argued under their anti-descrimination laws.



VIC

These abolished recently - YAY!


back