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4 unusual facts about Affirmation in law


Affirmation in law

A fourth appears in Amendment IV, all warrants must be supported by evidence given under oath or affirmation.

Australian nationality law

An equivalent wording was available in the form of a non-religious Affirmation for those who preferred.

Charles Bradlaugh

To take his seat and become an active Parliamentarian, he needed to signify his allegiance to the Crown and on 3 May Bradlaugh came to the Table of the House of Commons, bearing a letter to the Speaker "begging respectfully to claim to be allowed to affirm" instead of taking the religious Oath of Allegiance, citing the Evidence Amendment Acts of 1869 and 1870.

Juries in England and Wales

The clerk then calls each juror individually to either affirm or to take the oath, reading from a printed card whilst, if taking an oath, holding a holy book in his right hand (New Testament for those Christians who will swear an oath; Old Testament for Jews; or Koran for Muslims).



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