자유당 마틴 연방 정부가 $15만불의 용역비를 들여, 발표한 보고서에 의하면,캐나다 인권헌장은 범죄행위로 간주되는 일부다처제에 대해 무효임을 주장할수도 있다는 연구결과가나와 이를 합법화 시켜야 한다는 의견을 제시하고 있다. 연방정부의 용역으로 발표된 새 연구보고서는 캐나다는 일부 다처제를 수용하고, 이러한 관계속에서 생할하는 여성들과 아이들을 보호하기위한 입법조치를 검토해야 한다고 주장한다. Queen's 대학교의 3명의 법학교수들의 주장은 일부다처제를 범죄행위로 금하고 있는 형법 293조가 헌장에 위배되고 있다라고 주장할때,거부될수가 없을 것이다 라고, 보고서의 공동저자중 한명인 Beverly Baines씨는 생각하고 있다. 그녀는 지난밤의 기자회견에서 일부다처제를 금하는것은 위헌으로 지목될수 있다 라고 설명을 했다. 인권과 자유헌장에 대한 도전은, 종교의 자유가 불법으로 인정되고 있다고 주장하는 사람들에 의해 행해지고 있다. B.C주 바운티풀에 살고 있는 대부분의 주민들은 일부다처제는 그들의 종교적 근본원리라고 말한다. 일부다처제를 금하는 법률이 인권헌장에 위해된다는 가능성은, 이번주 폴마틴수상이, 헌법의 보호조항이 인권헌장이 관련된 대법원의 결정에 우선한다는 연방 정부의 우선권 주장을 제거 시키겠다는 것을, 새로 구성하게되는 자유당 정부의 우선과제가 될것이라는 발언으로 이의 실현 가능성을 더하게 했다. B.C.의 바운티풀동네에서는 일부 다처제가 이미 60여년 실시되고 있다. 지난해 RCMP가 아동학대및 성적과대묘사로 인한 물의에 대해,1000 여명의 골수 몰몬교도들을 조사한바 있으나,기소된일은 없었다. 마틴 정부는 15만불을 들여, 일부 다처제의 법적지위와 사회에 미치는 영향을, 작년 6월에 합법화된 동성혼인법을 입법화 시키기 몇주전에 용역의뢰했었다. 연방정부의 동성혼의 합법화로, 종교적 권리의 하나로 일부다처제를 주장하는 소수구룹의 사람들이 인권헌장에 도전하는 길을 열게 할수도 있다고, 평론가들은 당시 우려한바가 있다. 한편, 캐나다의 일부 다처제에 대한 정책의 토론가능성을 준비하기위한 심각한 연구가 필요하다는 캐나다여성위원회의 주장이 지난해 있었다. 세계의 많은 이슬람국가에서는 일부다처제가 합법화돼 있다. 그러나 한명이상의 아내를 거느리는 남편은 그가 아내들에게 똑같이 대해줄수 있는 능력이 있음을 해당지역의 법원으로 부터 확인받아야 한다고 한다. 이번 용역보고서의 중심인물인 Martha Bailey씨는 일부다처제를 범죄로 규정하는것은 결코 좋은 목적이 될수 없다라고 캐나다 기자협회에서 말하면서, 덧부치기를 " 간통을 범죄로 여기지 않는 마당에, 왜 일부다처제를 범죄행위로 규정해야 하는가?" 라고 반문했다. 이상은 오늘자 National Post지의 전면기사내용중 일부 입니다. 좀더 자세한 내용을 원하시면 아래 원본을 참조 하시지요. 아직 이보고서에 대한 연방 정부의 결정은 나타나 있지 않았군요. Legalize polygamy: study Ottawa paid for report that says Charter might negate criminal ban A mother and child near the polygamist colony of Bountiful, B.C.: A federal study calls for the legalization of polygamy. Published: Friday, January 13, 2006 A new study commissioned by the federal government recommends that Canada legalize polygamy and change legislation to help women and children living in plural relationships. The paper by three law professors at Queen's University in Kingston argues that a Charter challenge to Section 293 of the Criminal Code banning polygamy might be successful, said Beverley Baines, one of the authors of the report. "The polygamy prohibition might be held as unconstitutional," Ms. Baines said in an interview last night. "The most likely Charter [of Rights and Freedoms] challenge would be brought by people claiming their freedom of their religion might be infringed. Those living in Bountiful would say polygamy is a religious tenet." The possibility of a Charter challenge to polygamy laws has added significance since Paul Martin pledged this week that the first act of a new Liberal government would be to remove the federal government's ability to use the Constitution's notwithstanding clause to override Supreme Court decisions dealing with Charter rights. Polygamy has been practised for more than 60 years in Bountiful, in southeastern B.C. Last year, the RCMP launched an investigation into allegations of child abuse and sexual exploitation within the fundamentalist Mormon community of 1,000 people. No charges have ever been laid. The Martin government commissioned the $150,000 study into the legal and social ramifications of polygamy just weeks before it introduced divisive same-sex marriage legislation. Same-sex marriage was approved last June. Critics said at the time that the study underscored a deep concern in the federal government that legalized homosexual marriage could lead to constitutional challenges from minority groups who claim polygamy as a religious right. "In order to best prepare for possible debate surrounding Canada's polygamy policy, critical research is needed," a Status of Women Canada document said last year. "It is vital that researchers explore the impacts of polygamy on women and children and gender equality, as well as the challenges that polygamy presents to society." Sayd Mumtaz Ali, president of the Canadian Society of Muslims, said last year that he opposes same-sex marriage, but said if it is legalized in Canada, polygamists would be within their rights to challenge for their choice of family life to be legalized. "This is a liberally minded country with regards to equal rights, and literally millions live common law," Mr. Ali said. Multiple marriage is legal in most Muslim countries, he said. But Muslim men who take more than one wife must prove to local courts that they are capable of treating them all equally, Mr. Ali said. Chief author of the report Martha Bailey told The Canadian Press that criminalizing polygamy serves no good purpose. "Why criminalize the behaviour?" she said. "We don't criminalize adultery. "In light of the fact that we have a fairly permissive society, why are we singling out that particular form of behaviour for criminalization?, Ms. Bailey told The Canadian Press. Melissa Leong, National Post; with files from CanWest News Service Published: Friday, January 13, 2006 Ms. Baines said polygamy is rarely prosecuted. "No one is actually being prosecuted but the provision is still being used in the context of immigration and refugee stuff. People are not being admitted to the country." She said removing it from the Criminal Code will not force marriage laws to recognize it, but would only remove criminal sanctions. The report -- commissioned by the Justice Department and Status of Women Canada and written by Ms. Baines, Bita Amani and Ms. Bailey -- also says the criminalization of polygamy does not address the harms that women in polygamous relationships face and suggests Canadian laws be changed to better serve women by providing them spousal support and inheritance rights. "They are denied access to our divorce law.... You have a great deal of difficulty claiming your rights with access to children, custody of children and financial support for the children," she said. "We are starting to make accommodations for some small things in some of the provinces [such as] extending support law to women and children in any kind of marriage. "Polygamous marriages are legal in some countries. They come to Canada, the vast majority of them will not know the law and they have no legal protection. They could be prosecuted. Suddenly, they're living in fear." Polygamy, outlawed in Canada but accepted in many countries, typically means a man having several wives at the same time.