A magnetic gate latch has a multiplicity of permanent magnets arranged on a pair of disks with half of the magnets in mutual attraction and half of the magnets in mutual repulsion. These magnetic forces are used to brake and close a gate or door. One of the disks is made axially movable with respect to the other so as to assume mutual repulsion in one position and mutual attraction in a second position. The movable disk is attached to a gate or door closing member and the other disk is attached to the closing structure post or jamb. Magnetic forces in the repulsion position are used in the invention to reverse the movable disk from a mutual repulsion position to a mutual attraction position.