The Home Office has responsibility for the police recorded crime statistics and figures for the number of offences of bigamy recorded by the police are given in Tables 1-3.
Court proceedings statistics are collected by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. Table 4 shows the number of persons proceeded against at magistrates’ courts and found guilty at all courts for bigamy in England and Wales from 1997 to 2007 (latest available). Data for 2008 are planned for publication at the end of January 2010.
The police recorded crime data are based on the number of offences recorded in each financial year. Court proceedings data are based on the number of offenders. These data are published on a calendar year basis and are counts of persons classified by their principal offence. For these reasons the two datasets are not directly comparable.
Number of offences Police force area 1997 Avon and Somerset 1 Bedfordshire 0 Cambridgeshire 0 Cheshire 1 Cleveland 1 Cumbria 0 Derbyshire 1 Devon and Cornwall 0 Dorset 1 Durham 0 Dyfed-Powys 0 Essex 1 Gloucestershire 0 Greater Manchester 2 Gwent 0 Hampshire 1 Hertfordshire 0 Humberside 0 Kent 3 Lancashire 1 Leicestershire 0 Lincolnshire 2 London, City of 0 Merseyside 0 Metropolitan Police 48 Norfolk 0 Northamptonshire 0 Northumbria 0 North Wales 0 North Yorkshire 2 Nottinghamshire 0 South Wales 0 South Yorkshire 0 Staffordshire 1 Suffolk 1 Surrey 1 Sussex 1 Thames Valley 1 Warwickshire 0 West Mercia 0 West Midlands 4 West Yorkshire 1 Wiltshire 0 England and Wales 75
Number of offences Police force area 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 Avon and Somerset 6 4 4 0 Bedfordshire 0 2 0 0 Cambridgeshire 2 0 2 0 Cheshire 1 1 0 0 Cleveland 0 0 0 1 Cumbria 2 0 0 1 Derbyshire 3 1 4 0 Devon and Cornwall 1 0 3 2 Dorset 0 0 1 3 Durham 0 0 0 0 Dyfed-Powys 0 0 0 0 Essex 1 2 0 0 Gloucestershire 1 0 0 2 Greater Manchester 4 0 5 2 Gwent 3 0 1 2 Hampshire 2 2 3 0 Hertfordshire 0 0 1 1 Humberside 1 0 1 0 Kent 2 3 2 2 Lancashire 2 0 1 1 Leicestershire 1 0 0 0 Lincolnshire 1 0 1 0 London, City of 0 0 0 0 Merseyside 3 1 2 1 Metropolitan Police 62 41 33 39 Norfolk 0 0 0 0 Northamptonshire 0 0 1 2 Northumbria 0 2 0 1 North Wales 1 1 0 2 North Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 Nottinghamshire 0 0 1 1 South Wales 2 1 1 0 South Yorkshire 0 1 1 0 Staffordshire 1 2 1 0 Suffolk 2 2 0 1 Surrey 2 0 2 1 Sussex 7 2 4 3 Thames Valley 1 5 1 1 Warwickshire 0 1 0 0 West Mercia 4 1 1 0 West Midlands 4 4 2 2 West Yorkshire 7 3 1 3 Wiltshire 0 1 0 0 England and Wales 129 83 80 74 1 The coverage was extended and counting rules revised from 1998-99. Figures from that date are not directly comparable with those for 1997. 2 The data in this table is prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years.
Number of offences Police force area 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Avon and Somerset 2 2 2 2 1 3 4 Bedfordshire 2 0 3 1 0 1 1 Cambridgeshire 4 3 1 1 2 0 2 Cheshire 0 1 2 1 0 1 0 Cleveland 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Cumbria 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Derbyshire 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 Devon and Cornwall 2 4 1 0 0 4 1 Dorset 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 Durham 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 Dyfed-Powys 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Essex 3 1 1 0 0 1 1 Gloucestershire 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Greater Manchester 5 1 5 5 5 2 5 Gwent 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 Hampshire 6 4 0 5 0 1 0 Hertfordshire 0 0 4 3 0 0 1 Humberside 3 0 4 1 2 0 0 Kent 1 3 2 1 1 1 1 Lancashire 0 2 0 0 1 2 1 Leicestershire 0 3 1 5 1 0 1 Lincolnshire 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 London, City of 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Merseyside 0 1 0 3 0 2 2 Metropolitan Police 33 25 40 37 21 30 18 Norfolk 0 2 1 1 0 3 2 Northamptonshire 0 2 5 0 3 1 0 Northumbria 1 2 0 1 1 0 1 North Wales 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 North Yorkshire 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 Nottinghamshire 3 3 1 0 2 0 0 South Wales 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 South Yorkshire 2 1 1 3 1 0 0 Staffordshire 1 0 0 2 2 0 3 Suffolk 2 0 2 2 0 1 1 Surrey 1 0 3 1 2 0 1 Sussex 0 0 1 2 1 1 1 Thames Valley 3 1 6 5 2 7 4 Warwickshire 1 0 1 2 0 5 3 West Mercia 1 0 2 0 2 0 1 West Midlands 1 3 4 6 6 1 2 West Yorkshire 2 3 2 2 0 1 4 Wiltshire 2 0 1 5 0 2 0 England and Wales 88 71 104 101 61 74 65 1 The data in this table takes account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.
Proceeded against Force 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Avon and Somerset — 1 — — — — 1 — 1 — — Bedfordshire — — 1 — — 1 — — 1 2 — Cambridgeshire 1 — — — — — 2 — — — 1 Cheshire — 1 — — — — — — 1 — 1 City of London 1 — — — — — — — — — — Cleveland — — — 1 — — — — — — — Cumbria — — 1 — 1 — — — — — 1 Derbyshire — — 3 2 4 — — — — — — Devon and Cornwall — — — — — 2 2 1 — — — Dorset — 1 — — — 1 — 1 1 — — Durham — — — — — — — 1 — — — Essex — — — 1 — 1 2 — — — — Gloucestershire — 1 — — — 1 — — — — — Greater Manchester 1 — 4 1 1 — — — 3 3 — Hampshire 2 — 2 1 2 1 3 1 1 — — Hertfordshire — — — — — 1 — — — — — Humberside 1 — 1 — — 1 1 1 — — — Kent — — — 1 1 — — — 1 — — Lancashire — — — — 1 1 — 1 — — 2 Leicestershire 2 — — — — — — 1 — — — Lincolnshire 1 — — 1 — — — — 1 — — Merseyside 1 1 1 — — — 1 1 2 1 1 Metropolitan Police 8 18 18 4 3 10 9 8 9 6 4 Norfolk — — — — — — — — — — — North Yorkshire 2 — — — — — 1 — — — 1 Northamptonshire — — — — — — 1 — — — — Northumbria — — — — — 1 — 1 1 — 3 Nottinghamshire — — — — — — 1 1 — — — South Yorkshire — — 1 1 — 2 — — — 1 — Staffordshire — 1 — — — 1 — — 1 — 1 Suffolk — 1 2 — — — 1 1 1 — — Surrey — — — 1 1 — — — — — — Sussex — — 1 — 3 4 — — — 1 — Thames Valley — — 1 — — — — 1 1 — — Warwickshire — — — — — — — — — — — West Mercia — — — — 1 — — 1 — — 1 West Midlands 1 2 1 1 2 — 1 — 1 3 1 West Yorkshire 1 2 1 1 — 1 1 — 2 — — Wiltshire — — 1 — — 1 1 — — 4 — Dyfed Powys — — — — — — — — — — — Gwent — — — — 2 — — — — — — North Wales — — — — — 1 — — — 1 — South Wales — 1 1 1 1 — 1 1 — 1 — England and Wales 22 30 40 17 23 31 29 22 28 23 17
Force 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Avon and Somerset — — — — — — 1 — 1 — — Bedfordshire — — 1 — — 1 — — — — 1 Cambridgeshire 1 — — — — — 1 — — — — Cheshire — 1 — — — — — — 1 — 1 City of London — — — — — — — — — — — Cleveland — — — 1 — — — — — — — Cumbria — — 1 — 1 — — — — — 1 Derbyshire — — 1 1 2 — — — — — — Devon and Cornwall — — — — — 1 1 1 — — — Dorset — 1 — — — 1 — 2 1 — — Durham — — — — — — — 1 — — — Essex — — — — — 1 2 — — — — Gloucestershire — 1 — — — 1 — — — — — Greater Manchester — — 3 — 1 — — — 2 2 — Hampshire — — 1 — 2 — 2 1 1 — — Hertfordshire — — — — — — 1 — — — — Humberside 1 — — — — 1 1 — — — — Kent 1 — — 1 1 — — 2 — — — Lancashire — — — — — 1 — 1 — — 2 Leicestershire 1 — — — — — — 1 — — — Lincolnshire 1 — — — — — — — 1 — — Merseyside 1 1 2 — — — — 1 2 1 — Metropolitan Police 7 13 12 4 3 3 4 5 7 2 3 Norfolk — — — 1 — — — — — — — North Yorkshire 2 — — — — — 1 — — — 1 Northamptonshire — — — — — — 1 — — — — Northumbria — — — — — 1 — 1 1 — 3 Nottinghamshire — — — — — — 1 1 — — — South Yorkshire — — 1 1 — — — — — 1 — Staffordshire — — — — — 1 — 1 1 — 1 Suffolk — — 2 — — — 1 1 1 — — Surrey — — — 1 — — — — — — — Sussex — — 1 — 3 2 — — — — 1 Thames Valley — — 1 — — — — 1 — 1 — Warwickshire — — — — — — — — — — — West Mercia — — — — 1 — — 1 — — 1 West Midlands 1 — — 1 1 — 1 — 1 2 1 West Yorkshire — 1 — 1 — 1 — — 1 — — Wiltshire — — 1 — — 1 1 — — 2 — Dyfed Powys — — — — — — — — — — — Gwent — — — — 2 — — — — — — North Wales — — — — — — — — — — — South Wales — — 1 — — — 1 1 — — — England and Wales 16 18 28 12 17 16 20 22 21 11 16 1 The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 3 The number of defendants found guilty in a particular year may exceed those proceeded against, as it may be the case that the proceedings in the magistrates court took place in the preceding year and they were found guilty at the Crown court in the following year, or the defendant was found guilty for a different offence to the original offence proceeded against.