Year: 2006
Type: article
Abstract: Feasibility of bigamy as a crime in a culturally heterogeneous society South Africa is a heterogeneous society that is mainly governed by a Western-orientated legal system.The state is currently endeavouring to acknowledge the cultural and religious diversity in the country in the wake of the Constitution and international human rights conventions.The nature of marriage has been changed fundamentally in South Africa by the recognition of customary marriages, which are polygynous by nature.In light of the above the need for the existence of the crime bigamy in South Africa is investigated.The elements of and the ratio for the crime of bigamy are critically analysed.It is contended that bigamy must be decriminalised.No need for the crime remains, since sanctions exist in the Marriage Act 25 of 1961 and the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act 120 of 1996 to prevent fraud against the state and innocent third parties.An injured party may also institute a delictual action for iniuria against a person who knowingly committed bigamy.Criminal law in a heterogeneous society can not be used to enforce the ideologies of a small part of society; it is there to protect the society at large. 1 INLEIDING Suid-Afrika bestaan uit 'n heterogene samelewing, wat hoofsaaklik gereguleer word deur 'n Westersgeoriënteerde regstelsel. 1 In die lig van die Grondwet 2 en internasionale menseregtekonvensies 3 word daar gepoog om erkenning te gee aan die kulturele en religieuse diversiteit in die land.4 'n Voortvloeisel hiervan ________________________ 1 Van Reenen "The relevance of the Roman(-Dutch) law for legal integration in South Africa" 1995 SALJ 289; Labuschagne "Die spanningsveld geskep deur die selfverantwoordelike en verantwoordelikheidsdefektiewe persoonlikheidstipes in 'n plurale en liberale regstaat: Regsantropologiese kantaantekeninge by die soeke na 'n legitieme regsbedeling vir Suid-Afrika" 2001 De Jure 292; Bekker, Labuschagne en Vorster (reds) Introduction to legal pluralism in South Africa Dl 1 (2002) 3. 2 Die Grondwet van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika 108 van 1996.3 Veral a 2, 7 en 18 van die Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948); a 1 van die International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966); a 2-3 van die African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (1982); a 1-4 van die Declaration of the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious or Linguistic Minorities (1992).4 Sien Amod v Multilateral Motor Vehicle Accidents Fund 1999 4 SA 1319 (HHA) [21]; Die Suid-Afrikaanse Regskommissie Projek 90: The harmonisation of the common law and the indigenous law: Report on customary marriages (1998) par 3 1 13; Projek 59: Islamic marriages and related matters: Discussion paper 101 (2001) par 2 1-2; Projek 59: Islamic marriages and related matters: Report (2003).
Author: Pieter Bakker
Language: Afrikaans
Topic: Criminal Law and Policy
Subfield: Law
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2804646259