Legality of polygamy - wikipedia Legality of polygamy Polygamy is legal. Legal status is unknown. Polygamy is only legal for Muslims. Polygamy is illegal, but practice is not criminalized. Polygamy is illegal and practice criminalized. In India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Sri Lanka polygamy is only legal for Muslims. In Nigeria and South Africa, polygamous marriages under customary law and for Muslims are legally recognized. In Mauritius, polygamous unions have no legal recognition. Muslim men may, however, `` marry '' up to four women, but they do not have the legal status of wives. The legality of polygamy varies widely around the world. Polygamy is legal in 58 out of nearly 200 sovereign states, the vast majority of them being Muslim - majority countries situated in Africa and Asia. In most of these states, polygyny is allowed and legally sanctioned. Polyandry is illegal in virtually every state in the world. The rest of the sovereign states do not recognize polygamous marriages. Contents 1 Continents that recognize polygamous marriages 1.1 Africa 1.2 Asia 1.3 Oceania 2 Countries that only recognize polygamous marriages for Muslims 2.1 Asia 3 Countries that do not recognize polygamous marriages 3.1 Africa 3.1. 1 Under customary law 3.1. 2 Illegal de jure but still practiced 3.2 Americas 3.3 Asia 3.3. 1 Under customary law 3.3. 2 Illegal de jure but still practiced 3.4 Europe 3.5 Oceania 4 Current legislation 4.1 Civil unions 4.2 International law 5 Notable legislation 5.1 To permit polygamy 5.2 To outlaw polygamy 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References Continents that recognize polygamous marriages Africa Algeria Cameroon Chad Central African Republic Republic of the Congo Djibouti Egypt Gabon : Both men and women can join in polygamous marriage with the other gender under Gabonese law. In practice, the right to multiple spouses is reserved for men only. The Gambia Guinea Libya Kenya : Polygyny legal under legislation passed in 2014. Mali Mauritania Morocco Nigeria ( only in some states ) São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Somalia South Sudan Sudan Swaziland Togo Tanzania Uganda Zambia Asia Afghanistan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Indonesia Iran Iraq ( except for in Iraqi Kurdistan ) Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Maldives Myanmar Oman Qatar Pakistan Saudi Arabia Sri Lanka Syria ( except in Syrian Kurdistan ) United Arab Emirates Yemen Oceania Solomon Islands Countries that only recognize polygamous marriages for Muslims Note : These countries are included separately because they have specific legislation aimed only at Muslims. Asia India Malaysia Philippines Singapore Sri Lanka Countries that do not recognize polygamous marriages Africa Benin Côte d'Ivoire : Polygamy may be punishable by six months to three years imprisonment, or a fine of CFA 50,000 to CFA 500,000 ( US $80 to US $800 ). Eritrea : Illegal since 1977, after 2015 polygamy is punishable with `` a definite term of imprisonment of not less than 6 months and not more than 12 months, or a fine of 20,001 -- 50,000 Nakfas. '' Ethiopia Seychelles Tunisia, where it has been banned since 1956 Under customary law Botswana Lesotho Liberia Malawi Namibia Niger Nigeria ( only in some states ) : Recognized in all northern Sharia states Sierra Leone South Africa : Recognized under customary law, and recognised for civil purposes in terms of the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act. Zimbabwe Illegal de jure but still practiced Angola Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Democratic Republic of the Congo Equatorial Guinea Ghana Guinea - Bissau Madagascar Mauritius Mayotte ( French territory ) ( not criminalized ) : Considered to be de facto illegal since a referendum sponsored by France in March 2009, forcing the island to comply with the French laws. However, pre-existing Muslim marriages are currently still valid. Mozambique Rwanda Americas Main article : Polygamy in North America Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Bahamas Barbados Belize Bolivia Brazil Canada : All forms of polygamy, and some informal multiple sexual relationships, are illegal under section 293 of the Criminal Code. Bigamy is banned by section 290. However, for a long time, the law banning polygamy has not been efficient. As of January 2009, no person had been successfully prosecuted, i.e. convicted, in over sixty years. In 2009, two acquittals on polygamy charges, arising out of the town of Bountiful, British Columbia, prompted the government of British Columbia to pose a reference question to the Supreme Court of British Columbia ( i.e., the superior trial court ). The reference questions asked if criminalisation of polygamy was consistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms ; and, if so, under what circumstances could people be legally punished for polygamy. In November 2011 the court released its 335 page long decision, which was that the criminal offence of polygamy is indeed constitutional, but that it should not be used to prosecute minors for having taken part of a polygamous marriage. Chief Justice Robert Bauman conceded that there is a conflict between this law and some civil right principles, but stated that there are other and `` more important '' issues which in this case take precedence. He wrote ( as quoted by CBC news ) : `` I have concluded that this case is essentially about harm. More specifically, Parliament 's reasoned apprehension of harm arising out of the practice of polygamy. This includes harm to women, to children, to society and to the institution of monogamous marriage. '' Bauman argued that there are cases where the `` wives '' ( who may be rather young ; sometimes as young as 12 years ) are abducted and abused, but because they believe in a faith promoting polygamy, they are not willing to bring complaints to the authorities. He reasons that these offences sometimes may be stopped by applying anti-polygamy legislation. The decision was welcomed by the Attorney General of British Columbia, and by a representative for the group Stop Polygamy in Canada. Likewise, according to the CBC news, some polyamorous groups in Canada expressed their relief, since Bauman had stated that the law should n't apply to them unless they decide to formalize their unions. Women 's rights were central to decision. Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and The Grenadines Suriname Trinidad and Tobago Bigamy laws throughout the United States Misdemeanor Felony All forms of cohabitation outlawed United States : Polygamy is illegal in all 50 states but not federally. From about 1847 to 1857, in what is now the state of Utah, many Mormons practiced polygamy, which was widely condemned in the rest of the US. The US federal government threatened The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints ( LDS Church ) and made polygamy illegal through the enforcement of Acts of Congress such as the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act. The LDS Church formally outlawed the practice in 1890, in a document labeled ' The Manifesto '. Small splinter groups from the LDS Church, such as Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - Day Saints and the Apostolic United Brethren still practice polygamy and awareness has been increased through television dramas such as Big Love and reality shows such as Sister Wives. Among American Muslims, a small minority of around 50,000 to 100,000 people are estimated to live in families with a husband maintaining an informal polygamous relationship. Uruguay Venezuela Asia Armenia Azerbaijan China : Polygamy is illegal under Marriage Law passed in 1980. This replaced a similar 1950 prohibition. In Hong Kong, polygamy ended with the passing of the Marriage Act of 1971. Georgia Japan Kyrgyzstan Mongolia North Korea South Korea Taiwan : Polygamy is illegal by the 1930 ROC civil law. Tajikistan Turkey : Polygamy was criminalized in 1926 with the adoption of the Turkish Civil Code, part of Atatürk 's secularist reforms. Penalties for illegal polygamy are up to 5 years imprisonment. Turkey has long been known for its promotion of secularism, and has introduced measures establishing stricter bars against polygamy ; these were passed by the ruling moderate Islamist AK Parti as well. In March 2009, AK Parti effectively banned polygamists from entering or living in the country. Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Vietnam Under customary law Palestine Illegal de jure but still practiced Cambodia Israel : While polygamy is forbidden according to the criminal law of the State of Israel, polygamous marriages contracted abroad are recognized, and polygamous marriages are legally valid for Jews and Muslims if they are valid according to Jewish law or Islamic, respectively. Adult consensual polygamy is not in fact prosecuted, though it is only widely practiced by Muslims. Kazakhstan Laos Nepal : Criminalized with sentence of one to three years and fine up to Rs 25,000. However, the second marriage is not annulled and once the completion of the sentence, the second wife carries equal footing as the first one. Even the government pension provided to the wife of the retired government employee after his death is split by the government. Russia : Factual polygamy and sexual relationships with several adult partners are not punishable in accordance with current revisions of Criminal Code of Russia and Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses. But multiple marriage ca n't be registered and officially recognised by Russian authorities because Family Code of Russia ( section 14 and others ) prohibits registration of marriage if one of person is in another registered marriage in Russia or another country. Polygamy is tolerated in predominantly Muslim republics such as Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Dagestan. Thailand Timor - Leste Europe Albania Andorra Austria Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria : Illegal and punishable with up to three years imprisonment. Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland : The official prosecutor is obliged to take all cases to a court where more two persons are married to each other and such relationships cease to exist after the court has decided it. Polygamic marriages performed abroad may be recognized only in narrow occasions, for instance in child custody matters. France : Civil marriage registry illegal. Germany : Illegal, punishable with fine or prison time up to three years. Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland : The Catholic Church in Ireland allowed someone with a church annulment but no civil annulment to remarry in church ; such a marriage was legally null and bigamous but no prosecutions were brought. The practice ended after the 1996 legalisation of divorce. In 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that if someone had two legal marriages abroad, only the first was legal in Ireland, though ' that did not necessarily mean ( the second ) marriage `` can never have legal consequences ( in Ireland ) '' '. Italy Kosovo Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands : Marriage between more than two individuals prohibited ; however, a samenlevingscontract may include more than two partners. It legally accepts immigrants who are in such a union from a country where it is legal ; e.g. if a man with two wives immigrates to The Netherlands, all three will be legally recognized. Norway Poland Portugal Romania : Bigamy, defined as marriage conducted by a person which is already married, is punishable by up to 2 years in prison or fine. Knowingly marrying a married person is punishable by up to 1 year in prison or by fine. Russian Federation San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden : Sweden recognizes polygamous marriages performed abroad, and all spouses are subsequently registered as spouses in the population register, but other spouses than the first spouse may not always be recognized in all occasions. Only the first spouse is recognized as a spouse when decisions are made on residence permits and social security. A Swede may have four spouses registered at most. Switzerland : Polygamy is illegal by law. But polygamous marriage conducted in another country may be accepted or rejected on a case - by - case basis. Ukraine United Kingdom : Foreign polygamous marriages grant some welfare benefits only, but this is being phased out with the introduction of Universal Credit. Polygamy is treated as bigamy if a second marriage ( or civil partnership ) is contracted in the United Kingdom. No legal recognition is extended to spouses of subsequent marriages after the first marriage is recognised even when subsequent marriages are contracted abroad. Vatican City ( Holy See ) Oceania Australia : Polygamous marriages can not be performed in Australia, but polygamous relationships are still common within some indigenous Australian communities. Polygamous marriages entered into abroad are recognised for limited purposes only. Fiji Kiribati Marshall Islands Micronesia Nauru New Zealand : Polygamous marriages can not be performed in New Zealand, but are permissible if they are legally performed in a country that permits polygamy. Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu Current legislation In most countries, a person who marries a person while still being lawfully married to another commits bigamy. In all such cases, the second marriage is considered legally null and void. Besides the second and subsequent marriages being void, the bigamist is also liable to other penalties, which vary between jurisdictions. The United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand permit some benefits for spouses of polygamous marriages performed in other countries. On a case by case basis Sweden recognizes polygamous marriages performed abroad but without giving residence or social security rights to other spouses. In Switzerland polygamous marriages conducted in another country may be accepted or rejected on a case - by - case basis. see § Europe. In the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, which allows simultaneous, additional marital rights and obligations for already married persons, prior to married persons becoming divorced from their existing spouse. The vast majority of Muslim majority sovereign states recognize polygamous marriages : these states span from West Africa to Southeast Asia. Exceptions to the legality of polygamy in the Middle East occur in Israel, Turkey and Tunisia. The Palestinian territories -- consisting of West Bank and Gaza Strip -- permit polygamous unions for Muslim citizens of the territories. Predominantly Christian nations usually do not allow polygamy, with a handful of exceptions such as the Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Zambia. Myanmar ( formerly known as Burma ) is also the only predominately Buddhist nation to allow for civil polygamous marriages. Almost a dozen countries that do not permit polygamous civil marriages recognize polygamous marriages under customary law. All the northern states in Nigeria governed by Islamic Sharia law recognize polygamous marriages. The autonomous regions of Somaliland and Puntland in northern Somalia also recognize polygamy, as does the country 's Transitional Federal Government itself, since the country is governed by Sharia law. The recently independent country of Southern Sudan also recognizes polygamy. Polyandry is de facto the norm in rural areas of Tibet, although it is illegal under Chinese family law. Polygamy continues in Bhutan in various forms as it has since ancient times. It is also found in parts of Nepal, despite its formal illegality in the country. Debates of legalizing polygamous marriages continue in Central Asian countries. Civil unions Brazil -- A legally married person or a married couple cohabiting with one or more sexual partner ( s ) is prohibited by law as bigamy, which is punishable by two to six years of imprisonment, and is valid for every Brazilian citizen, including naturalized ones. In 5 May 2011 long - term cohabitation between non-married persons, known as união estável ( `` stable union '' ), was extended to same - sex couples, recognized as a family entity and granted all 112 rights of married couples -- its only legal difference from marriage is that it does not change individual civil status from single to married. One of such uniões estáveis, in Tupã, São Paulo, was registered involving a man and two women, as reported in August 2012. A second união estável - bound trio took place in the city of Rio de Janeiro, this time between three women, in October 2015. International law In 2000, the United Nations Human Rights Committee reported that polygamy violates the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ( ICCPR ), citing concerns that the lack of `` equality of treatment with regard to the right to marry '' meant that polygamy, restricted to polygyny in practice, violates the dignity of women and should be outlawed. Specifically, the reports to UN Committees have noted violations of the ICCPR due to these inequalities and reports to the General Assembly of the UN have recommended it be outlawed. Some states where polygamy is legal are not signatories of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ( ICCPR ), including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Malaysia, Brunei, South Sudan and Myanmar ; therefore the UN treaty does n't apply to these countries. It has been argued by the Department of Justice of Canada that polygyny is a violation of International Human Rights Law. Notable legislation The tables below cover recent pieces of legislation that have been either debated, proposed or voted on ; all of which concern a form of polygamous union. To permit polygamy Country Date Polygamous union Upper House Lower House Head of State Final outcome Yes No Yes No Iraq 1963 Polygamous civil marriage ( revoke of prohibitions ) Passed Passed Signed Yes United Kingdom 1987 or earlier Foreign marriages may receive benefits payments, being phased out Malawi Customary law ( recognizes polygamous unions ) Passed Passed Signed Yes Libya 1998 Polygamous civil marriage Passed Passed Signed Yes South Africa 1998 Customary marriage ( civil recognition ) Passed Passed Signed Yes Namibia 2003 Customary law ( recognizes polygamous unions ) Passed Passed Signed Yes Namibia Pension benefits to wives of a deceased president - Failed - No Uganda 2005 Polygamous civil marriage ( easing of laws ; plus restrictions ) Passed Passed Signed Yes Kyrgyzstan 2007 Polygamous civil marriage Failed - - - No Kazakhstan 2007 Polygamous civil marriage Failed - - - No Uzbekistan 2007 Polygamous civil marriage Failed - - - No Tajikistan 2007 Polygamous civil marriage Failed - - - No Turkmenistan 2007 Polygamous civil marriage Failed - - - No Kazakhstan June 2008 Polygamous civil marriage Failed - - - No Iran September 2008 Polygamous civil marriage ( easing of laws ) Failed - - - No Namibia July 2009 Polygamous civil marriage Proposed - - - - Russia 2009 Polygamous civil marriage Proposed - - - - Kenya March 2014 Polygamous civil marriage Passed - - - Yes To outlaw polygamy Country Date Prohibition type Upper House Lower House Head of State Final outcome Yes No Yes No United States July 1862 Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act, which made polygamy a misdemeanor offense in US territories and other areas where the federal government has exclusive jurisdiction. ' ' Signed Yes United States March 1882 Edmunds Act, which reinforced Morrill by making polygamy a felony in the jurisdictions covered by Morrill ; also prohibited `` bigamous '' or `` unlawful cohabitation '' as a misdemeanor offense, which removed the need to prove that actual marriages had occurred in order to obtain convictions on polygamy related charges. Passed Passed Signed Yes Turkestan ASSR ( modern Kyrgyzstan ) October 1921 Outlaws polygamy Passed Passed Signed Yes Thailand October 1935 Outlaws polygamy ; polygamous marriage Passed Passed Signed Yes North Vietnam ( modern Vietnam ) October 1950 Outlaws polygamy Passed Passed Signed Yes Syria 1953 Restrictions on polygamous marriage Passed Passed Signed Yes India 1955 Outlaws polygamy and polygamous marriages for Hindus only Passed Passed Signed Yes Tunisia 1956 Ban on polygamy ; polygamous marriages Passed Passed Signed Yes Iraq 1959 Ban on polygamy ; polygamous marriage Passed Passed Signed Revoked Côte d'Ivoire 1964 New penal code outlaws polygamy ; polygamous marriages ( upholds existing ) Passed Passed Signed Yes British Hong Kong ( modern Hong Kong ) 1971 Outlaws polygamy Passed Passed Signed Yes Eritrean People 's Liberation Front ( modern Eritrea ) 1977 Outlaws polygamy ; polygamous marriage ( districts under Sharia exempt ) Passed Passed Signed Yes Egypt 1979 Restrictions on polygamous marriage ; ease of divorce laws Passed ; abrogated - - - No Egypt 1985 Restrictions on polygamous marriage ( less liberal ) Passed Passed Signed Yes France Outlaws family reunion for polygamist immigrants Passed Passed Signed Yes Uganda December 2003 Outlaws polygamy Failed - - No Morocco 2003 Restrictions on polygamous marriage Passed Passed Signed Yes Benin August 2004 New penal code outlaws polygamy ; polygamous marriages ( upholds existing ) Passed Passed Signed Yes Morocco February 2005 Restrictions on polygamous marriage ( heavy restrictions ) Passed Passed Signed Yes Uganda July 2005 Outlaws polygamy Failed - - No Indonesia 2007 Bans civil servants from living polygamously Passed Passed Signed Yes Morocco May 2008 Restrictions on polygamous marriage ( heavy restrictions ) Passed Passed Signed Yes Uganda June 2008 Outlaws polygamy Failed - - No Iraqi Kurdistan Nov. 2008 Outlaws polygamy except in selective circumstances Passed Passed Signed Yes Mayotte March 2009 Mahoran status referendum, 2009 ( passage outlaws polygamy ) Territory - wide referendum Yes Turkey May 2009 Disallows polygamists from immigrating into the country Yes Indonesia July 2009 Restrictions on polygamous marriage Pending Pending - - Namibia July 2009 Ban on polygamy and polygamous customary marriages Proposed - - - - See also Polygamy List of polygamy court cases Notes References Jump up ^ `` Algeria -- Researched and compiled by the Refugee Documentation Centre of Ireland on 22 July 2011 : Information on forced marriages and polygamous marriages, including the treatment of women '' ( PDF ). 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Polygamous marriage by country Performed legally Nationwide Afghanistan Algeria Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Cameroon Chad CAR Comoros Congo Djibouti Egypt Gabon The Gambia India Indonesia Iran Kenya Kuwait Libya Maldives Mauritania Morocco Myanmar Oman Pakistan Qatar Saudi Arabia Senegal Singapore Somalia Sri Lanka Sudan Tanzania Togo Uganda UAE Yemen Zambia Statewide Iraq Nigeria Palestine Gaza Strip West Bank Syria Recognized if performed legally abroad Australia ( 2008 ) New Zealand ( 1980 ) United Kingdom ( 2008 ; welfare only ) Recognized under customary law Botswana Burkina Faso Equatorial Guinea Guinea - Bissau Hong Kong ( performed until 1971 ) Jordan Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Malawi Mali Malaysia Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Sierra Leone South Africa Swaziland Zimbabwe Other countries and regions Angola Benin Burundi Canada DR Congo Côte d'Ivoire Eritrea Ethiopia France Ghana Guinea Iraqi Kurdistan Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Laos Mauritius Mexico Mongolia Niue Russia Rwanda Tajikistan Thailand Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan United States Uzbekistan Vietnam Legal status Polygamy Polygyny Polyandry Non-monogamy Polygamy by country Marriage practice by country Kurdish - controlled areas criminalize polygamy Regions governed by Sharia Close plural relationships By type Group marriage Open marriage Open relationship Polyamory Polyandry Polyfidelity Polygamy Polygynandry Polygyny Relationship anarchy History and Culture Nikah Ijtimah Polygamy in Christianity Polygamy in North America Polygyny in Islam LDS / FLDS Origin Current state List of practitioners Celestial marriage Sealing Spiritual wifery Placement marriage Lost boys Polygamy czar Terms Compersion New relationship energy Primary and secondary Terminology within polyamory Values within polyamory Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Legality_of_polygamy&oldid=816233165 '' Categories : Polygamy Marriage law Hidden categories : CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from January 2017 CS1 Portuguese - language sources ( pt ) Use dmy dates from June 2016 All articles with failed verification Articles with failed verification from July 2016 All articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases Articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases from February 2017 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from February 2015 Articles containing Portuguese - language text Articles with unsourced statements from September 2017 Articles with unsourced statements from August 2013 Articles with failed verification from November 2015 Talk Contents About Wikipedia فارسی اردو Edit links This page was last edited on 20 December 2017, at 03 : 02. 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Question: when was polygamy made illegal in the united states
Answer: July 1862