 A person who is married or in a civil union recognised by New Zealand law, and who subsequently enters into a formal marriage or civil union recognised by New Zealand law with another person in New Zealand, can be charged with bigamy, which is a crime under section 205 of the Crimes Act 1961 and carries a two to seven years imprisonment penalty.Polygamous marriages cannot be solemnised in New Zealand.However, polygamy receives limited recognition in New Zealand under the Family Proceedings Act 1980.