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New Zealand law explained for everyone

Summary Offences Act 1981

Offences resembling forgery or fraud

16: Acting as medium with intent to deceive

You could also call this:

"Pretending to have special powers to get money or gifts is against the law."

Illustration for Summary Offences Act 1981

You can get a fine of up to $1,000 if you pretend to be a spiritualistic medium for money. You do this by saying you have special powers like telepathy or clairvoyance to deceive people. You also get in trouble if you use tricks to pretend you have these powers. If someone pays you or gives you something valuable for what you do, you are acting for reward. This applies even if the money or gift goes to someone else. But if you are just doing it for entertainment, you will not get in trouble. You are not allowed to deceive people by pretending to have special powers to get money or gifts. This is against the law in New Zealand.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM53553.

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16Acting as medium with intent to deceive

  1. Every person is liable to a fine not exceeding $1,000 who, acting for reward,—

  2. with intent to deceive, purports to act as a spiritualistic medium or to exercise any powers of telepathy or clairvoyance or other similar powers; or
    1. uses any fraudulent device in purporting to act as a spiritualistic medium or in purporting to exercise any such powers.

      1. For the purposes of this section, a person shall be deemed to act for reward if in respect of what he does any money is paid, or any valuable thing is given, whether to him or to any other person.

      2. Nothing in subsection (1) shall apply to anything done solely for the purpose of entertainment.

      Compare
      • 1952 No 43 s 12(1A), (2), (3)
      • 1960 No 7 s 10
      • 1967 No 154 s 2(2)