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Polygamy in Canada: Legal and Social Implications for Women and Children – A Collection of Policy Research Reports
An International Review of Polygamy:
Legal and Policy Implications for Canada
Nicholas Bala, LL.M.
Professor, Faculty of Law, Queen's University
Katherine Duvall-Antonacopoulos (LL.B. Candidate 2006)
Faculty of Law, Queen's University
Leslie MacRae, B.A., (M.A. Candidate 2005)
Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family
Joanne J. Paetsch, B.A.
Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family
ABSTRACT
Status of Women Canada contracted the Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family to conduct an international review of polygamy, examining the social, legal and policy implications for Canada. This paper sets the present controversy in Canada in a broader international context, by discussing social science literature and legal developments in other countries, and relating this international material to the situation in our country. The paper reviews the social science literature and media reports about the effects of polygamy on women and children in Canada and other countries. Legal issues that have arisen in other countries related to polygamy are summarized, with a particular focus on countries that have legal systems most similar to our own. The current legal and policy issues concerning polygamy in Canada are also discussed. The paper concludes by considering how the information and developments of other countries shed light on the current controversies in Canada, offering legal analysis and policy recommendations for this country.
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