A-G willing to charge polygamists
 
By Suzanne Fournier
The Province
Wally Oppal

Wally Oppal

B.C. Attorney-General Wally Oppal vowed yesterday that he would not shy away from laying "substantive" polygamy charges against Bountiful's fundamentalist Mormon sect.

Oppal promised a decision "will be made very soon, within two to three weeks," on whether B.C. will file criminal charges against the Bountiful commune, under either Sec. 293 of the Criminal Code, which makes polygamy illegal in Canada, or under Sec. 153, which prohibits underage marriages.

Oppal said he was unaware of any past prosecution for polygamy in Canada and that because prosecution "would raise constitutional issues," his ministry is obtaining "constitutional opinions" before laying any charges.

The group has raised legal and political controversy through its open practice of polygamy by older males who take multiple, typically much younger wives.

On May 2, a B.C. Human Rights tribunal dismissed a complaint against Oppal's ministry by Sunshine Coast activist Jancis Andrews.

The complaint was filed in 2005 by Andrews and six other women on behalf of the women in Bountiful and dealt with enforcement of the criminal law, supervision of a private school in Bountiful, child protection and women's rights.

Tribunal chairwoman Heather MacNaughton said the tribunal decided it had no authority over decisions by Crown counsel, so dismissed the part of the complaint filed against Oppal's ministry.

She said the portion of the complaint filed against three other ministries - education, women's services and child protection - is still under investigation.

Yesterday, Andrews applauded Oppal's comments that charges would be laid soon.

"Polygamy is illegal in Canada and someone has to stand up and say the abuse of women and children has to stop," she said. "We have more hope for this attorney-general than we did for any previous minister."

E-mail Suzanne Fournier
 
canada.com
Originally published Thursday, May 10, 2007
 
Back