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.

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.