ELIZABETH II
Exorcism Act 2021
2021 CHAPTER 16
An act to prohibit the conduct of exorcisms on persons under the age of 18, and for connected purposes| Bill ID | B076 |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | 
Their Grace Sir Marijn F. Hoyle GCTL KOBC MR PC MP
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| Amended by |  The Rt Hon Revd Sir George H. Vere OOBC PC MP The Rt Hon Ishan Rao, 1st Baron Worchester The Rt Hon Sir Ethan M. Upton OOBC, 1st Earl of Trent |
| First reading | 2021 April 21 |
| Royal assent | 2021 July 06 |
| Commencement | 2021 October 06 |
| Affected legislation | N/A |
Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
1 Conduct of exorcisms on a young person
- Any person who conducts an exorcism on a minor shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment not exceeding 6 months, a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or both.
- Prayer for a minor's well-being and for the expulsion of supernatural forces shall be considered legal, provided this prary is not accompanied by any other rites or rituals as laid out in section 2a of this legislation
2 Definitions
For the purposes of this Act,
- “exorcism” shall mean any rite or ceremony the purpose and/or intended purpose of which is to remove dæmons, religious or spiritual entities, bad omens, curses, or other non-physical and non-mental afflictions from a person who is said and/or believed to be possessed or acting abnormally.
- “minor” shall mean any person under the age of 18.
3 Extent, commencement, and short title
- This Act extends to England.
- This Act enters into force three months after receiving royal assent.
- This Act may be cited as the Exorcism Act 2021.