Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Crimes Act 1961

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

207: Feigned marriage or civil union

You could also call this:

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

If you pretend to marry or enter a civil union with someone, knowing that it won’t be real for any reason except that one of you is already married or in a civil union, you could go to prison for up to 7 years.

However, if the judge believes that the other person knew the marriage or civil union wouldn’t be real when you did it, you might only go to prison for up to 2 years.

Remember, it’s against the law to trick someone into a fake marriage or civil union. It’s important to be honest about these things.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM329768.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal law
Family and relationships > Marriage and partnerships
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206: Punishment of bigamy, or

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

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207A: Coerced marriage or civil union, or

“It's against the law to force someone to marry or enter a civil union by scaring, threatening, or hurting them.”

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

207Feigned marriage or civil union

  1. Everyone is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years who goes through a form of marriage or civil union with any other person, knowing that the marriage or civil union will be void for any reason other than that one of the parties is already married or in a civil union.

  2. Provided that if the Judge is satisfied that that other person 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.

Notes
  • Section 207: replaced, on , by section 43 of the Civil Union Act 2004 (2004 No 102).
  • Section 207 heading: amended, on , by section 27 of the Family Violence (Amendments) Act 2018 (2018 No 47).