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New Zealand Legislation: Acts

Acts are laws made by Parliament

Reprint as at 1 July 2009

Oaths and Declarations Act 1957

Public Act	1957 No 88
Date of assent	24 October 1957

Note

Changes authorised by section 17C of the Acts and Regulations Publication Act 1989 have been made in this eprint.

A general outline of these changes is set out in the notes at the end of this eprint, together with other explanatory material about this eprint.

This Act is administered in the Ministry of Justice

Contents

1 Short Title and commencement

2 Interpretation

Part 1
Oaths, affirmations, and declarations in general

Oaths and affirmations

3 Form in which oath may be administered

4 Right to make affirmation instead of oath

4A Oaths and affirmations in Maori

5 Oath not affected by absence of religious belief

6 Unlawful administration of oaths

7 Persons may make declarations

8 Manner of making declarations

9 Declarations made in New Zealand

Oaths, affirmations, and declarations made outside New Zealand

10 Commonwealth representatives may administer oaths

11 Declarations made outside New Zealand

12 Oaths and declarations of servicemen outside New Zealand

Part 2
Oaths and affirmations in judicial proceedings

13 Witnesses under 12 may make declarations

14 Who may administer oaths

15 Mode of administration if not objected to

16 Witness may be sworn in Scots form

Part 3
Promissory oaths and affirmations

17 Oath of Allegiance

18 Judicial Oath

19 Executive Councillor's Oath

20 Parliamentary Under-Secretary's Oath

21 Official Oath

Persons to make and administer oaths

22 By whom Oath of Allegiance and Judicial Oath to be taken

23 By whom Oath of Allegiance and Executive Councillor's Oath to be taken

24 By whom Parliamentary Under-Secretary's Oath to be taken

25 By whom Official Oath to be taken [Repealed]

General provisions

26 Effect of neglecting to take oath

27 Oath of Allegiance not to be taken except under this Act and other specified Acts

28 Declarations instead of oaths in certain cases

29 Saving as to certain oaths

30 Saving as to persons already holding offices

30A Regulations

31 Certain United Kingdom Acts to cease to have effect as part of the law of New Zealand

32 Repeals and savings

Schedule 2
Persons required to take the Oath of Allegiance and the Judicial Oath

Schedule 3
Persons required to take the official oath

[Repealed]

Schedule 4
Other Acts requiring an Oath of Allegiance

Schedule 5
Acts of the Parliament of England or of the United Kingdom ceasing to have effect as part of the law of New Zealand

Schedule 6
Enactments repealed

An Act to consolidate and amend certain enactments of the Parliament of New Zealand relating to oaths, affirmations, and declarations

The words “Parliament of New Zealand” were substituted for “General Assembly”, as from 1 January 1987, pursuant to section 29(2) Constitution Act 1986 (1986 No 114).