CANADA: British Columbia Supreme Court Weighs Decriminalizing Polygamy

In a trial that is expected to last through January, British Columbia's Supreme Court is hearing the case of a fundamentalist sect of the Mormon Church, who are arguing that laws against polygamy violate Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The case involves now-dismissed criminal charges brought against the leaders of a small polygamous community in Bountiful, British Columbia.

Residents of Bountiful practise what Wickett described as a form of "fundamental Mormonism," which includes plural marriage. Although the mainstream Mormon church renounced polygamy more than a century ago, members of the FLDS believe plural marriage is a tenet of the faith. The community in Bountiful has split into two factions and Wickett represents the congregation with ties to the U.S.-based FLDS. About 550 people in Bountiful are part of that faction, and about 55 of them are polygamous, said Wickett. Lawyers for the provincial and federal governments have argued that polygamy has created a long list of problems in Bountiful, including child brides, teenage pregnancy, the trafficking of young girls to meet the demand for wives, the subjugation of women and the expulsion of boys to reduce competition for brides.

Wickett said there is very little evidence before the court of any of that happening in Bountiful. Rather, he said, critics with a long-standing bias are relying on the experiences of polygamous communities in the United States. "Members of the FLDS know full well that their beliefs and practices are neither understood … nor accepted by the majority of Canadians," said Wickett. Wickett said if there is abuse within Bountiful — which he suggested is no different than in a monogamous society — the existing law makes it worse because victims would be reluctant to come forward.

Christianist websites in the U.S. are following the case closely as they have long contended that same-sex marriage opens the door to polygamy.

Mormon Polygamists Arrested In Canada

Marriage is one man + one woman alert: Canada has arrested two leaders of a Mormon polygamous sect.

Two top leaders of a polygamous community in western Canada have been arrested and charged with practicing polygamy, British Columbia's attorney general said Wednesday. Attorney General Wally Oppal said Winston Blackmore is charged with marrying 20 women, while James Oler is accused of marrying two women. Oppal, who said the charges carry a maximum penalty of five yeras in prison, said the case will be the first test of Canada's polygamy laws. "This has been a very complex issue," he said. "It's been with us for well over 20 years. The problem has always been the defense of religion has always been raised."

Blackmore, long known as "the Bishop of Bountiful," runs an independent sect of about 400 members in the town of Bountiful. He once ran the Canadian arm of the Utah-based Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but was ejected in 2003 by that group's leader, Warren Jeffs. Oler is the bishop of Bountiful's FLDS community loyal to Jeffs. Even though many of the town's residents are related or have same last name, followers of the two leaders are splintered and are not allowed to talk with each other. FLDS members practice polygamy in arranged marriages, a tradition tied to the early theology of the Mormon church. Mormons renounced polygamy in 1890 as a condition of Utah's statehood.

Blackmore brags that he has dozens of children by his 20 wives. The polygamists say they expect that the charges will be dismissed under Canada's freedom of religion laws.