Hypnotism Act 1952

The Hypnotism Act 1952 (15 & 16 Geo. 6 & 1 Eliz. 2. c. 46) is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Hypnotism Act 1952

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to regulate the demonstration of hypnotic phenomena for purposes of public entertainment.
Citation	15 & 16 Geo. 6 & 1 Eliz. 2. c. 46
Territorial extent	England and Wales Scotland
Dates
Royal assent	1 August 1952
Commencement	1 April 1953
Status: Amended
Text of statute as originally enacted
Text of the Hypnotism Act 1952 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

The act regulates stage hypnosis ("exhibition, demonstration or performance of hypnotism" for public entertainment).

Provisions

The act has three primary parts – provisions applying to England and Wales, to Scotland, and to Great Britain as a whole.

England and Wales

In England and Wales, the act disallows the performance of hypnosis in a public place, unless given permission by the local authority, or they may be liable to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale, currently £1000.

Scotland

In Scotland, the act gives the authority to any local authority to provide licences to theatres to allow the performance of hypnosis at that location.

UK (excluding Northern Ireland)

In the UK (excluding NI), the act prohibits hypnosis being knowingly performed on those under 18 (originally 21) or be subject to a level 3 fine. The act also allows for any police officer to enter a location where "entertainment is held" if the officer has cause to believe this act is being contravened.

The act continues to allow for hypnosis to be used without a license if it is being used for research purposes (e.g. for the treatment of a mental or physical disease).

Application

In 2024 the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton agreed to a request from a comedy hypnotist to overturn a policy it had introduced in the 1980s of refusing the permission required under the 1952 act. The Guardian's report on the matter said that most other councils had in previous decades either stopped enforcing the act or given perfunctory approval as a matter of course.