Polygamous marriages may not be performed in the United Kingdom, and if a polygamous marriage is performed, the already-married person may be guilty of the crime of bigamy under section 11 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973.

Is it legal to be polyamorous in the UK?

Polyamorous marriage is not allowed to be performed in the UK. You are only legally able to be married to one person at a time. If polyamorous marriage takes place in the UK, the person who is already married may be guilty of bigamy, which is a crime.

Are you allowed to have two wives in UK?

Polygamy is the practice of having more than one wife at the same time. However, it is possible for all parties to a polygamous marriage to be legally present in the UK. For example, a second spouse may qualify for entry to the UK in a different immigration category, in their own right.

How can you tell if someone is a bigamist UK?

There were bigamy trials at the Central Criminal Court in London (known as the Old Bailey). The wonderful free resource, Old Bailey Online, has access to proceedings between 1674 and 1913. You can also find Court and Legal records on the main database sites like Findmypast and Ancestry.

What happens if you marry twice in UK?

British law prohibits bigamy, meaning that a person, who is married in England or Ireland, or elsewhere, is not allowed to enter into a new marriage while the former husband or wife is still alive. A bigamy sentence can be up to 7 years or a fine or both.