ALLOWED TWO WIVES
(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter —Copyright) LONDON, February 5. A man married in a Christian ceremony can take a second wife on changing to the Moslem faith, provided polygamy is allowed in the country where he lives, the judicial committee of Britain’s Privy Council ruled in London today.
The committee had been asked to rule whether bigamy
had been committed in Ceylon by Mr Allen Ellington Reid, otherwise known as Ibrahim Reid, formerly of
Ceylon, and said to be living in England. Mr Reid went through a Christian marriage in Ceylon in 1933 and parted from his wife in 1957. Two years later, he took a second wife after becoming a. Moslem. As a result he was gaoled for three months for bigamy, but Ceylon’s Supreme Court quashed the conviction and the Attorney-General of Ceylon appealed to the Privy Council against the Court decision.
Explaining the Privy Council’s rejection of the appeal, Lord Upjohn said Dre people of Ceylon had a right to change their religion. Since polygamy was recognised there, a man could contract a polygamous marriage notwithstanding an earlier monogamous union.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30677, 17 February 1965, Page 2
Word Count
183ALLOWED TWO WIVES Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30677, 17 February 1965, Page 2
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