29/01/2023
Understanding Bigamy
Bigamy occurs when a person who has a wife or husband goes through a marriage ceremony when his or her spouse is still alive.
As a general rule, such marriages are illegal for all intents and purposes, and the spouse who celebrates it can serve a five year jail term.
There are two exceptions to this offence however, which are;
-If the person divorced in or a competent court declared the marriage to the first spouse illegal, and;
-If the person contracts the marriage during the life of a former husband or wife, if such a wife or husband at the time of the new marriage has been absent for a period of seven years and has not been heard of to be a live by the spouse contracting a marriage.
Note that customary marriages are potentially polygamous. This in effect means that this provision applies to church and civil marriages.
Regards
Counsel Smith kiiza
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