bigamist acquitted

Canada has some strange laws. A man who was shown to have two wives was acquitted because of what the judge called a “stringent requirement” in Canadian law.

What is the “stringent requirement”? one might ask. According to this judge, even though he had no doubt this man had two wives, to convict, the Crown had to prove he had left the country with the intent to marry another woman. Now I could understand the "intent" argument coming into play in the sentencing phase, but clearly the man is guilty as charged.

Oh, and the defence lawyer has some great insights as to why his client should be found not guilty. He claims that because Sahib Abid Ali Al Jibouri is from Iraq, there, polygamy is accepted and even encouraged sometimes. You understand, don't you? “He’s just an average working guy from Iraq”, says Frank Miller.

Miller also goes on to say that a bigamous marriage shows a sign of commitment, and hey, at least his client isn't going around impregnating a bunch of women. And while that may be true, that's not illegal, being married to two women is, Frank.

Miller said the case of Bountiful, a polygamist community in British Columbia, shows it is difficult in Canada to prosecute bigamy cases.

“It’s a religion-based crime,” said Miller. He said the courts would struggle with what to do with a Muslim man who comes to Canada after marrying multiple wives in his home country.

It’s common in Canadian society for men to have children with multiple women. “What is the real societal benefit to have laws against multiple marriage?” Miller said. Bigamous marriage, he said, “shows some degree of commitment. At least it’s better than a guy running around and impregnating a bunch of women.”