Bigamy defined

(1) A person commits bigamy who knowing that a marriage subsists between him and any person goes through the ceremony of marriage with another person, provided that a person accused of bigamy shall be acquitted if at the time of the subsequent marriage his former husband or wife has been continually absent from him for seven years, and has not been heard of by him as being alive within that time, and if before the subsequent marriage he informs the other party thereto of the facts of the case so far as they are known to him. (2) Upon proof by the accused person of such continued absence and information as aforesaid, it shall lie on the prosecution to prove that the former husband or wife has been heard of as aforesaid.