EU Consumer Protection Regulations

Spiritualism and other leading authorities linked to clairvoyance have taken a giant leap forward, thanks to the imminent introduction of the European Union’ Consumer Protection Regulation, which will protect people from fraudulent Mediums and other psychic practitioners who blatantly con their clients. Under the 1951 Fraudulent Mediums Act, prosecutors would need to prove the Medium had intended to be fraudulent in order to secure a conviction.

The Act offered protection to Mediums because it meant the person receiving the information was taking personal responsibility for the information provided by the Medium. The client therefore would have to prove the Medium was fraudulent Under the EU Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, which comes into force in the UK on 26 May 2008; it will be the Medium's responsibility to prove they did not mislead or coerce vulnerable consumers. Many Mediums and psychic practitioners fear that changes to laws regulating the industry could leave them open to malicious civil action by sceptics, for example, there is always the possibility that Mediums will be targeted by people intent on making money by suing what they see as easy targets.

All the same, other authorities say that this change will tighten standards, discourage "less than ethical" practitioners and make it easier for the public to understand what to expect from a reading. The change will offer vulnerable people greater protection against fraud. I truly believe that the introduction of the European Union’ Consumer Protection Regulation will make real changes to the current status, where some psychic practitioners and Mediums are permitted to make completely unsubstantiated claims and to take payment for their services, without fear of legal action. Some spiritualist churches and related organisations are rife with either fraudulent Mediums or people who are simply not qualified in this field of work.

The European Union’ Consumer Protection Regulation is, in my eyes, a platform which will path the way forward for greater and better standards of service on the spiritualist platform. Many Mediums fear the introduction of this regulation because they will claim to be easy targets by unscrupulous individuals.

Let me reassure all Mediums and psychic practitioners that they have nothing to fear if they are genuine and sincere in their conduct as psychic professionals. I know of at least two fraudulent Mediums who blatantly con their victims and are often seen on the spiritualist platform. Their days of public service are surely numbered thank God, as I am sure they will vanish from the spiritualist platform as quickly as they appeared.