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The Independent Observer > News > Govt does not want to decriminalise Bigamy

Govt does not want to decriminalise Bigamy

By MAIMBO MWEEMBA
Justice Minister Mulambo Haimbe says recommendations by the Zambia Law Development Commission to harmonise provisions of law on bigamy, does not entail that Government wants to decriminalise the offence.

Mr Haimbe said stakeholders recommended the removal of the offence of bigamy in Section 166 of the Penal Code but maintain the same in Section 38 of the Marriage Act.

Mr Haimbe said the recommendations have been calculated to avoid duplicity of offence in the country’s statutes.

He said that the recommendations are not final as they will be subjected to further debates in the National Assembly

Mr Haimbe clarified that the Technical Committee that has availed recommendations for the harmonisation of Zambia’s Statutes is not new as it was constituted in 2011 under the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD)

Mr Haimbe said the UPND is merely trying to facilitate the implementation of recommendations to harmoinse Zambia’s Statues to guard against duplicity in the application of laws.

He said this in a Ministerial statement in Parliament.