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Crimes Act 1961

Crimes against the person - Bigamy, and feigned or coerced marriage or civil union

206: Punishment of bigamy

You could also call this:

“The law says you can go to jail if you marry someone while already married to someone else.”

If you commit bigamy, you can go to prison for up to 7 years. Bigamy means getting married or entering a civil union when you’re already married or in a civil union.

However, if the judge thinks that the person you married or entered a civil union with knew that the marriage or civil union wouldn’t be legal, you might only go to prison for up to 2 years.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM329765.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal law
Family and relationships > Marriage and partnerships
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205: Bigamy defined, or

“Bigamy means marrying or entering a civil union with someone else while already married or in a civil union.”

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207: Feigned marriage or civil union, or

“It's against the law to pretend to marry or have a civil union with someone when you know it won't be real.”

Part 8 Crimes against the person
Bigamy, and feigned or coerced marriage or civil union

206Punishment of bigamy

  1. Every one who commits bigamy is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years:

    provided that if the Judge is satisfied that the person with whom the offender went through the form of marriage or with whom the offender entered into a civil union, knew, at the time when the offence was committed, that the marriage or civil union would be void, the offender is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years.

Compare
  • 1908 No 32 s 225
Notes
  • Section 206 proviso: amended, on , by section 42(a) of the Civil Union Act 2004 (2004 No 102).
  • Section 206 proviso: amended, on , by section 42(b) of the Civil Union Act 2004 (2004 No 102).