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Legal Terms - Bigamy
Bigamy is the act of participating in a marriage ceremony with someone while already being legally married to another person, as defined by the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 s 57. Bigamy is a criminal offense that can result in a maximum jail sentence of seven years. However, there is a legal defense available if the accused can demonstrate an honest and reasonable belief that their first spouse was deceased or that their previous marriage had been legally dissolved, annulled, or declared void. Additionally, there exists a specific legal defense in cases where the accused's spouse has been away for a minimum of seven years. In such instances, the accused is entitled to believe that their spouse is deceased, even without concrete evidence of their death. Despite being acquitted of the crime of bigamy, if a person had a live spouse at the time of their second marriage, the bigamous marriage will still be considered invalid.
Bigamy is the act of participating in a marriage ceremony with someone while already being legally married to another person, as defined by the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 s 57. Bigamy is a criminal offense that can result in a maximum jail sentence of seven years. However, there is a legal defense available if the accused can demonstrate an honest and reasonable belief that their first spouse was deceased or that their previous marriage had been legally dissolved, annulled, or declared void. Additionally, there exists a specific legal defense in cases where the accused's spouse has been away for a minimum of seven years. In such instances, the accused is entitled to believe that their spouse is deceased, even without concrete evidence of their death. Despite being acquitted of the crime of bigamy, if a person had a live spouse at the time of their second marriage, the bigamous marriage will still be considered invalid.
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