April 10, 2026, from CTV News: A fairy tale that got lost’: Canadian man’s multiple wives say marriage licences should never have been issued
A CTV News W5 investigation uncovered significant gaps in how marriage licences are issued across Canada, revealing that most jurisdictions do not verify whether applicants are already legally married. This lack of oversight allowed one man, Jason Washington, to be simultaneously married to four women over a decade, without any of them knowing. Several of his spouses said that even a basic warning or verification step could have prevented them from entering into the marriages, particularly during vulnerable moments in their lives.
The investigation highlights deeply personal stories, including that of “Emma,” who described being quickly swept into a relationship and proposal, only to later experience controlling and abusive behavior. Another spouse, Sara, said she was shocked to learn Washington had multiple concurrent marriages. Both women expressed frustration that provincial systems approved marriage licences without scrutiny, despite the serious legal and emotional consequences of bigamy.
Vancouver family lawyer Sophie Bartholomew played a key role in contextualizing the legal issues for the report. She explained that while bigamy is a criminal offence in Canada, enforcement is rare and largely reactive. Bartholomew emphasized that the current system relies almost entirely on self-declaration, with no meaningful verification process in place. Her insights underscored a critical gap: although lying on a marriage application is illegal, there is little to no proactive investigation to prevent fraudulent or unlawful marriages from occurring in the first place.
The reporting also explored potential solutions and systemic limitations. While provinces cite privacy laws and criminal penalties as deterrents, experts suggest that basic database checks could significantly reduce the risk of bigamy. Despite government assurances that the system is functioning as intended, the experiences shared in the W5 investigation point to a need for reform, particularly to better protect individuals from harm and ensure transparency in the marriage licensing process.
Sophie Bartholomew is a lawyer at the Vancouver office of MacLean Law, who was called to the bar of British Columbia in 2019. She worked as a qualified Family Lawyer in Oxford, England, before moving to Vancouver and joining the MacLean Law team in July 2017 to re-qualify in British Columbia. A co-author of the prestigious Chambers and Partners Family Law Guide Canada, Sophie is a dual-qualified, dedicated, resourceful thinker, with a diverse legal education and experience.
