B.C. rights group sides with Bountiful in landmark polygamy court case

All Articles

B.C. rights group sides with Bountiful in landmark polygamy court case
("The Canadian Press," March 17, 2011)

Vancouver, Canada - A B.C. civil rights group is siding with a controversial religious sect in a landmark court case examining Canada's ban on polygamy.

In final arguments filed with the court, the B.C. Civil Liberties Association says the law against multiple marriage is outdated and should be relegated to the scrap heap of history because barring polygamous relationships violates fundamental freedoms protected in the Canadian charter.

Spokeswoman Monique Pongracic-Speier says the law invites the state into the bedrooms of consenting adults who choose plural relationships.

Final arguments will begin later this month in B.C. Supreme Court, which has heard allegations that B.C. girls as young as 12 have been married off to jailed American polygamist Warren Jeffs, along with conflicting expert testimony on whether the practice is inherently harmful to women and children.

The case was prompted by the failed polygamy prosecution of two religious leaders from Bountiful, in southeastern B.C.

The association says it, too, is concerned about allegations of child abuse and sexual interference within polygamous communities, but it argues that criminal activity should be investigated and prosecuted whether it occurs in polygamous or monogamous relationships.

Related Sections | FLDS | Polygamy

	WorldWide Religious News

	All Articles B.C. rights group sides with Bountiful in landmark polygamy court case ("The Canadian Press," March 17, 2011) Vancouver, Canada - A B.C. civil rights group is siding with a controversial religious sect in a landmark court case examining Canada's ban on polygamy. In final arguments filed with the court, the B.C. Civil Liberties Association says the law against multiple marriage is outdated and should be relegated to the scrap heap of history because barring polygamous relationships violates fundamental freedoms protected in the Canadian charter. Spokeswoman Monique Pongracic-Speier says the law invites the state into the bedrooms of consenting adults who choose plural relationships. Final arguments will begin later this month in B.C. Supreme Court, which has heard allegations that B.C. girls as young as 12 have been married off to jailed American polygamist Warren Jeffs, along with conflicting expert testimony on whether the practice is inherently harmful to women and children. The case was prompted by the failed polygamy prosecution of two religious leaders from Bountiful, in southeastern B.C. The association says it, too, is concerned about allegations of child abuse and sexual interference within polygamous communities, but it argues that criminal activity should be investigated and prosecuted whether it occurs in polygamous or monogamous relationships. Related Sections \| FLDS \| Polygamy	Search 10 Commandments 12 Tribes Aum/Aleph Bahai Branch Davidians Buddhism Christianity Church/State Colonia Dignidad FLDS Falun Gong Gatekeepers Gov. Reports Hari Krishna Hinduism Home Schooling Honohana House of Prayer Internet Related Islam Judaism Legislation Legislative Docs. Miscellaneous Mungiki Native Religions Nuwaubian Nation Occult Other NRMs PBMA Raelians Rastafarians Scholarly Papers Scientology Sectarian Violence Sikhism Solar Temple The Body The Family Int'l Unification Church Yahweh Zong Gong
	Disclaimer: WWRN does not endorse or adhere to views or opinions expressed in the articles posted. This is purely an information site, to inform interested parties of religious trends.

WorldWide Religious News