Government Abolishes Ancient Law Criminalizing Witchcraft

July 22, 2005

Source: The Australian

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16009130%5e601,00.html

On July 22, 2005 The Australian reported, "Don't look for witches to be dancing with delight around their cauldrons over the removal from the statute books of ancient laws that criminalised witchcraft and fortune-telling. 'In some ways it's irrelevant,' said Caroline Tully of Melbourne, who says she's a witch. 'I've only known one person to be busted in the past 20 years, and that was some woman in Sydney for fortune-telling'... Victorian Attorney-General Rob Hulls said the repeal of the state's Vagrancy Act, which contained the anti-witchcraft laws, was about bringing legislation into the 21st century. 'Gone are the days when witchcraft and fortune-telling posed a threat to law and order, so the offences will now go up in a puff of smoke.' He said only one person had ever been charged with witchcraft in Victoria, and the charge was dismissed... Gavin Andrew of the Pagan Awareness Network said the legislation was outdated and discriminatory. 'There will be several thousand pagans celebrating under the full moon tonight.'"