Northern Territory government to repeal centuries-old witchcraft, tarot card law - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Northern Territory government to repeal centuries-old witchcraft, tarot card law - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): A recent review of the Territory's Summary Offences Act found a centuries-old law citing anyone caught conjuring spells or predicting the future could face one year in prison.

The Witchcraft Act of 1735 has been inherited from Britain and has since been repealed in most other parts of the Western world.

But Northern Territory Attorney-General John Elferink says a legal quirk meant it stayed on the Territory's statute books.

He says a year in prison is a pretty stiff punishment for a tarot card reader and has promised to finally repeal the legislation.

"This legislation was enacted because it was there essentially as a form of consumer protection," he said.