Mediums / Psychics : Revising the Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951 - The Governemnt Respond
We started a petition to revise the Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951.
The Government Have Replied !
Update: 19th October 2007
The government have replied to our petition. Here is what they said:
The Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951 will be repealed from April 2008 by the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2007 (CPRs) which implement the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (UCPD).
The CPRs include rules prohibiting conduct which misleads the average consumer and thereby causes, or is likely to cause him to take a transactional decision he would not have taken otherwise.
Although the average consumer would arguably not be misled by a person who claims he is able to contact the dead, such conduct would still be unfair under the CPRs if it deceives the average member of (i) the group to which it is directed, or (ii) a clearly identifiable group of consumers who are particularly vulnerable to this type of practice.
Unlike the Act, there is no requirement in the CPRs to prove an "intent to deceive". This means that where practices are aimed at vulnerable consumers or average members of particular groups, it should be easier to take action against fraudulent mediums than under the Act.
The CPRs will be enforced by both civil (injunctive) action and criminal sanctions.
Further information on the UCPD and the CPRs is available on
http://www.berr.gov.uk/consumers/buying-selling/ucp/index.html
Update: 9th September 2007
Ok guys not long to go now. We have nearly 300 sigs on the petition, which is enough to warrent a reply from the Prime Minister.
If you haven't signed already make sure you do.
Although this may not force a change in the law, it will alert the Government to the issues regarding the FMA.
You cannot change the world over night, but you can take baby steps and over time make a difference, so to all those who are against fraud out there, never give up the good fight.
Update: 27th April 2007
The Psychic News has mentioned our petition on the front page of their newspaper for this Saturday!
And my esteemed collegue Dr James Bowen even gets a mention!
The Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951 has rarely been used in the prosecution of mediums and psychics, who claim to contact the dead relatives of people. Yet there are increasingly more TV shows and live acts where people claiming to be mediums and psychics prey on vulnerable people who have lost loved ones, giving them spurious information and taking their money.
We call upon the Government to revise the Fraudulent Mediums Act and make it easier to prosecute these people.
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/mediums/
Regardless of your opinions of this site, regardless of your beliefs, sceptic or believer, we can all agree on one thing, and that is that the FMA 1951 is a joke.
We must have a proper way to stop the frauds out there.
Please post the address to the petition anywhere you can, and pass it through email too.
If we get enough signatures maybe we can make a difference.
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/mediums/
The comments are owned by the poster. We aren't responsible for their content.
| Poster | Thread |
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| Anonymous | Posted: 2007/3/22 5:44 Updated: 2007/3/22 19:02 |
 Re: Petition the Prime Minister to Revise the Fraudulent ...I've signed it but who is James Bowen?
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| Anonymous | Posted: 2007/3/22 7:27 Updated: 2007/3/22 19:01 |
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Re: Petition the Prime Minister to Revise the Fraudulent ... Great idea! Come on everyone!
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| Anonymous | Posted: 2007/3/22 17:15 Updated: 2007/3/22 19:01 |
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Re: Petition the Prime Minister to Revise the Fraudulent ... When I contacted the police about Acorah and his frauds, they said that they could only get involved and mount a prosecution if someone had been defrauded or otherwise harmed by him, or any other medium. While I applaud this petition, it would only work if someone could prove that they were harmed by a medium. Perhaps it would be too much to hope that Yvette Fielding might do this.... ;)
Cheers Paul -- http://www.paullee.com |
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| admin | Posted: 2007/3/22 19:03 Updated: 2007/3/22 19:03 |
Webmaster   Joined: 1969/12/31 From: UK Posts: 320 Online! |
Re: Petition the Prime Minister to Revise the Fraudulent ... James Bowen is part of BadPsychics.
You can read a brief profile of him on our media page http://badpsychics.com/thefraudfiles/modules/news/article.php?storyid=97 |
| Anonymous | Posted: 2007/3/23 9:41 Updated: 2007/3/23 19:37 |
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Re: Petition the Prime Minister to Revise the Fraudulent ... Hello Paul,
The police don't get involved very often in civil cases anyway, if these people are trading as mediums and making a living out of it by misrepresentation then it would be a TS matter but the law would need to be tweaked as it leaves it wide open to interpretation. The only 'mediums' or 'psychics' that have been prosecuted are through postal scams and robbery that I'm aware of. Garry http://www.lincsprt.com |
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| bob_dezon | Posted: 2007/3/23 10:02 Updated: 2007/3/23 19:37 |
Webmaster  Joined: 2006/4/28 From: Posts: 13 |
Re: Petition the Prime Minister to Revise the Fraudulent ... Although i agree with this proposal wholeheartedly in principle, I dont seem to be able to find the "proposed" changes to the original act. I cannot in good conscience add my name to a generalised proposal without understanding the new ammendments.
If this proposal is intended to force the regulatory body to revise and ammend the original act to be better able to prosecute these charletans, then perhaps it would carry more weight if some actual suggestions for change were included. sorry if this post has caused any offense. |
| Anonymous | Posted: 2007/3/23 10:04 Updated: 2007/3/23 19:37 |
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Re: Petition the Prime Minister to Revise the Fraudulent ... "(5) Nothing in subsection (1) of this section shall apply to anything done solely for the purpose of entertainment."
...and there's the rub where the Act is concerned. Garry Ross |
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| Anonymous | Posted: 2007/3/23 10:07 Updated: 2007/3/23 19:36 |
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Re: Petition the Prime Minister to Revise the Fraudulent ... One more before I get back to work again...
Number of prosecutions at magistrates' courts and convictions at all courts for offences under section (1) of the Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951, 1980-1995 6 prosecutions but 5 convictions. Not sure on 1995 - 2006 but will have a peek Garry Ross |
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| gazzo | Posted: 2007/3/25 11:20 Updated: 2007/3/25 15:39 |
Just popping in   Joined: 2007/3/25 From: Yorkshire Posts: 2 |
Re: Petition the Prime Minister to Revise the Fraudulent ... This is a great idea, that could change the course of advertising, scientific thinking etc. Not only is it worth gaining a petition to amend the fraudulant mediums act, but also popping a letter off to your local MP in order to heighten public concern. Imagine the concern from those phoney seaside palmists if a year later your taking civil or criminal action under a revised edition of this act. it would certainly have to be watertight. I know a number of MPs in parliament would be sympathetic to such an undertaking, since a number suscribe to the secular 'Freethinker'. Go for it.
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| Anonymous | Posted: 2007/4/23 16:50 Updated: 2007/4/24 5:30 |
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Re: Petition the Prime Minister to Revise the Fraudulent ... Wow! Doris Stokes has signed it!
As has Chris P Lettuce...... hm...hang on... |
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| Anonymous | Posted: 2007/4/23 18:10 Updated: 2007/4/24 5:29 |
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Re: Petition the Prime Minister to Revise the Fraudulent ... dont suppose anyone has passed this petition on to the most haunted or anyis or living?..lol..might actualy be worth sending to see what their reply if any was?
i see the o'keefe has actualy signed the petition so obviously they willbe aware of its existance. ive also passed it on to my local mp, joan whalley, so tahts shes aware and hopefully to see if she will sign it and take it up also? time will tell i suppose? |
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| Anonymous | Posted: 2007/4/24 14:49 Updated: 2007/4/24 17:54 |
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Re: Petition the Prime Minister to Revise the Fraudulent ... WHY ? is this because you've all been fooled by psychics ? Give it up
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| Anonymous | Posted: 2007/4/26 13:27 Updated: 2007/4/27 4:15 |
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Re: Petition the Prime Minister to Revise the Fraudulent ... Nope I haven't been fooled by a Psychic, far too aware of their tricks to be fooled.
Unfortunately not everyone is clever enough to spot a fraud, and therefor, this act is definetely needed. If a psychic or a medium is the real deal, then they would have no problem what so ever with this being put into place. |
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| Anonymous | Posted: 2007/4/28 6:34 Updated: 2007/4/28 9:37 |
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Re: Petition the Prime Minister to Revise the Fraudulent ... But how would you possibly prove a medium was a fraud in a court of law. How would you define a medium? How would you prove they weren't actually talking to the dead? You also have the problem of religious persecution - spiritualism is a religion. Are you going to outlaw ministers who talk to God next? It's a minefield that no politician in their right mind is going to go anywhere near.
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| Anonymous | Posted: 2007/6/22 4:32 Updated: 2007/6/22 4:50 |
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Re: Petition the Prime Minister to Revise the Fraudulent ... Quote:
But how would you possibly prove a medium was a fraud in a court of law. How would you define a medium? How would you prove they weren't actually talking to the dead? You also have the problem of religious persecution - spiritualism is a religion. Are you going to outlaw ministers who talk to God next? It's a minefield that no politician in their right mind is going to go anywhere near. It's not up to the rest of us to prove they are talking to the dead, the burden of proof is on the beleiver, it is up to them to "prove" that they are not us to "disprove". I think anyone who is rational would have no problems with outlawing ministers who talk to god, as this is clearly a sign of a delusional mind. Unfortunately most of us are getting tired of paying unwarranted respect to peoples crazy delusions especially when thrust into government circles where it is not only dangerous but unwanted. I hope a time will come when these people will not be able to hide behind the veneer of respectability that the religious/mediums/psychics seem to enjoy, this is the rational fighting back and it will win. |
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| Anonymous | Posted: 2007/6/22 8:57 Updated: 2007/6/22 9:09 |
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Re: Petition the Prime Minister to Revise the Fraudulent ... I have recently written to my local authority of Bury, (Greater Manchester) to complain about them allowing the well known fraudster Simon Peters the use of their public building 'The Met'. Peters, who claims to be able to 'pass on your loved one's messages from heaven' according to his local press release has getting away with this sort of nonsense for years and it's time he and his fellow fraudsters were stopped.
Needless to say up to present I haven't received a reply from Bury. |
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| Anonymous | Posted: 2007/6/23 4:37 Updated: 2007/6/23 4:48 |
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Re: Petition the Prime Minister to Revise the Fraudulent ... How come the petition is only for british people, is
there not anything i can do to help out? Lee from Tn |
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| Anonymous | Posted: 2007/6/28 17:57 Updated: 2007/6/28 18:07 |
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Re: Petition the Prime Minister to Revise the Fraudulent ... i agree that we need to get rid of the frauds, but how do u prove someone is not what they say.
Someone who goes to see a medium/psychic is going for a reason, obviously to hear from someone they lost, if they get what they went for and believe they have received a message from a loved one, who are we to tell them its all nonsense. When they feel lost and in despair, this could be a glimmer of hope for them. Whether you believe or not how can something that makes people feel good be bad. I think a petition to keep dangerous people off the street, would be better served than worrying about fake mediums. Lets face it, no one makes you go to have a reading or watch a medium on tv. |
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| Tanydon | Posted: 2007/9/10 7:52 Updated: 2007/9/10 12:58 |
Just can't stay away  Joined: 2007/6/22 From: Radcliffe. Posts: 85 |
Re: Petition the Prime Minister to Revise the Fraudulent ... I would love for a petition to have an effect but when you consider the PM's wife is into all sorts of nonsense like tarot, homeopathy, crytals, and acupuncture, does anyone really an online petition will even be read never mind acted on, because I don't.
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