Published : 2024-07-18
On July 18, 1969, the British Hong Kong Government made an official announcement, formally establishing a monogamous marriage system (一夫一妻制) in Hong Kong.
Prior to this, men in Hong Kong had legitimately enjoyed polygamy (一夫多妻制) rights under the "Great Qing Legal Code" (大清律例). Long before the Qing Dynasty ceded Hong Kong, Charles Elliot, who represented the British forces that landed in Hong Kong in 1841, along with Gordon Bremer, commander of the British Far East fleet detachment, had jointly published the "Elliot's Proclamation" in Hong Kong, declaring Chinese to be governed by Chinese law and customs.
Subsequently, Hong Kong's first governor, Sir Henry Pottinger, also agreed in his response to the British homeland that Hong Kong's Chinese should continue to be governed by their own laws, implementing "Chinese laws for Chinese people" (華律治華人).
Later, the British Hong Kong Government took the initiative to rewrite outdated laws into statute law. With intense public criticism against the polygamy system, the British Hong Kong Government successfully abolished this backward practice.
After the government made its announcement, the "Marriage System Amendment Ordinance" (婚姻制度改革條例) was passed by the Legislative Council in 1970.
The new law stipulated that the monogamous marriage took effect from October 7, 1971, and all marriages must be formally registered to be legally recognised.
