 AFFIRMATIONS  [CAP. 245.         1
CHAPTER 245 
AFFIRMATIONS ACT
To make general provision for authorising an affirmation to be made
instead of an oath and to provide for ancillary or consequential matters.
(28th June, 1974) *
Enacted by ACT XXXV of 1974.
Short title.
Affirmation in lieu 
of oath.
2. (1) Wherever by or under any law now in force or by or
under any law hereafter enacted, unless in the latter case such law
otherwise expressly provides, provision is made for the taking of an
oath by any person, if -
( a ) such person objects to being sworn and states as the
ground of his objection that he has no religious belief,
or that the taking of an oath is contrary to his religious
belief, or that he has conscientious objection to the
taking of an oath; or
( b ) it is not reasonably practicable to administer an oath to
such a person in the manner appropriate to his
religious belief,
such person shall be permitted to make a solemn affirmation (in
this Act referred to as "affirmation") instead of taking an oath.
(2) Where by or under the provision of any law a person is or
may be required to take an oath, any person who may be permitted
to make an affirmation instead shall and may also be required to do
so, and in any such case a failure or refusal to make an affirmation
shall be treated as if it were a failure or a refusal to take the oath.
(3) For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section the
expression "reasonably practicable" means reasonably practicable
without inconvenience or delay.
Form of 
affirmation
3. (1) An affirmation made instead of an oath shall be in the
like form as the oath instead of which it is made, but for the words
"swear", "do swear" or other words connoting the making of an
oath, there shall be substituted the words "solemnly affirm" with
consequential verbal adaptations where necessary; and the words
"so help me God", if they occur in the form of the oath, shall be
omitted.
(2) Any power given by any law to prescribe the form of an
oath shall include power exercisable in like manner to prescribe the
form of the affirmation which may be made instead of the oath.
Authority to 
receive 
affirmation.
4. Any public officer or other person authorised to administer
the oath shall likewise be authorised to receive an affirmation made
instead of an oath and, in relation to the receiving of the
* See  Government Notice No. 439 of 28th June, 1974.
  2      CAP. 245. ]     AFFIRMATIONS
affirmation, he shall have the same powers and duties and shall
observe  mutatis mutandis  the same formalities as apply in relation
to the administration of the oath.
Affirmation to 
have the same legal 
effect as the oath.
5. (1) An affirmation made instead of an oath shall, for all
legal purposes, have the same effect as the oath and if any such
affirmation is false the person making it shall incur the same
punishments, penalties and liabilities as he would have incurred if
he had been duly sworn.
(2) References in any law to "sworn", "declared on oath",
"confirmed on oath", "verified on oath" or similar expressions
connoting the making of an oath in relation to any statement, act or
instrument shall, where an affirmation is made instead of an oath
under this Act, have effect and be construed accordingly.
