- R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46, s. 365. Justice Laws Website. Government of Canada. Published: 2024-12-10. Accessed: 2025-01-04T22:46Z. https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-46/section-365-20030101.html.
365 Every one who fraudulently
(a) pretends to exercise or to use any kind of witchcraft, sorcery, enchantment or conjuration,
(b) undertakes, for a consideration, to tell fortunes, or
(c) pretends from his skill in or knowledge of an occult or crafty science to discover where or in what manner anything that is supposed to have been stolen or lost may be found,
is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.
- “An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Department of Justice Act and to make consequential amendments to another Act” C-51. 42nd Parliament, 1st session. Parliament of Canada. Published: 2018-12-13. Accessed: 2025-01-04T22:50Z. https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/42-1/c-51.
- §41
Section 365 of the Act is repealed.
- §41
Canada had anti-fraudulent witchcraft laws. Legit fortune tellers would have been fine.
Legit fortune tellers could see them coming /s
The only thing that can stop a bad fortune teller is a good fortuneteller.
…
With a gun.This just in, A small medium at large
…in bed?
Canada had anti-fraudulent witchcraft laws.
I’ll update the title accordingly. I think it’s important to specify what you’ve stated, for clarity.
Also, imo, regular anti-fraud laws, and regular tort law can take over for the nonexistence of this specific law. For example, if someone is advertising a business, even if it’s something of an occult nature, and then they don’t deliver what they promise, I’d argue that that’s standard false advertisement.
That’s debatable, since the fraud usually has to be something a reasonable person could believe. E.g. no suing Copperfield for faking magic, even if he advertises it as real.
WELL WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO NOW IF I GO TO SASKATOON AND I GET TURNED INTO A NEWT?!
GET BETTER?!
No, because if you get turned into a newt, it wouldn’t have been covered by this anyway.
Maybe they were promised to be turned into a dragon or something?
Punishable by burning at the stake?
Ha, punishable on summary conviction (it’s mentioned in the post’s cited law).
Excellent now I can use my crafty science