New South Wales Consolidated Acts

JURY ACT 1977 - SECT 72A

72A Juror's oath or affirmation

(1) The form of oath or affirmation to be taken or made by a person before serving as a juror is an oath or affirmation that the person will give a true verdict according to the evidence.

(2) The oath or affirmation may be administered, taken or made in the manner provided for by the Oaths Act 1900 or in the prescribed manner.

(3) For the purposes of this section, the
"prescribed manner" of administering, taking or making the oath or affirmation is--

(a) the person taking or making the oath or affirmation repeats the words of the oath or affirmation, or

(b) the officer administering the oath or affirmation repeats the words of the oath or affirmation and the person taking or making the oath or affirmation indicates his or her assent to the oath or affirmation by uttering the words "So help me God" (in the case of an oath) or "I do" (in the case of an affirmation).

(4) The words of the oath or affirmation are the following words, or words to the following effect--

(a) "I swear by Almighty God that I will give a true verdict according to the evidence" (in the case of an oath),

(b) "I solemnly and sincerely declare and affirm that I will give a true verdict according to the evidence" (in the case of an affirmation).

(5) If an oath is administered, taken or made in the prescribed manner, it is not necessary that a religious text be used by the person who is taking the oath.

Note : Under section 11A of the Oaths Act 1900 , a copy of the Bible, New Testament or Old Testament is used in administering an oath.

(6) If an oath is taken by a person before serving as a juror, the fact that the person taking it did not have a religious belief or did not have a religious belief of a particular kind does not for any purpose affect the legality or validity of the oath.

(7) An oath or affirmation taken or made by a person before serving as a juror is not illegal or invalid by reason of a failure to administer, take or make the oath or affirmation in accordance with this section.