A rare trial on a bigamy charge is unfolding in a Chatham courtroom this afternoon, and there may be a change in a court order.
Justice Thomas Carie spent considerable time discussing the nature of bigamy charges and bans on publication.
There is a ban on publication of the man's alleged wives that was put in place by a Justice of the Peace in 2013, but Carie says such bans are not automatic, as would be the case if there was an allegation of assault.
Assistant Crown Attorney James Boonstra told the court the ban is in place to protect the identity of woman who allegedly married the man while he was actually married to another woman.
But the judge says it is the first wife who is potentially the victim in the case. And he says the charge is rare enough that it is in the public interest that it be fully tried in public.
The Crown will make an argument this afternoon as to why the ban should continue.
