Victorian Current Acts

OATHS AND AFFIRMATIONS ACT 2018

TABLE OF PROVISIONS

   PART 1--PRELIMINARY

   1.      Purposes  
   2.      Commencement  
   3.      Definitions  
   4.      Application of this Act  
   5.      Act binds the Crown  

   PART 2--OATHS AND AFFIRMATIONS

   6.      Application of Part  
   7.      Choice of oath or affirmation  
   8.      Form of oaths and affirmations  
   9.      Oath or affirmation to be said aloud  
   10.     Effect on oath of religious texts and beliefs  
   11.     Administration to multiple persons  
   12.     Powers of courts, certain officers of courts and other persons to administer oaths and affirmations  
   13.     Appointment by interstate or overseas court or body to take or receive evidence  
   14.     Officer must refuse to administer oath or affirmation in certain circumstances  
   15.     Reasonable modifications may be made  
   16.     Audio and audio-visual evidence  
   17.     Minor non-compliance does not affect validity  

   PART 3--AFFIDAVITS

   18.     Application of Part  
   18A.    Electronic signatures and initials  
   19.     Affidavits made in Victoria  
   20.     Offence to require payment of fee to take affidavit  
   21.     Affidavits made out of Victoria  
   22.     Offence to take affidavit if not authorised affidavit taker and offence to purport to be authorised affidavit taker  
   23.     Prescribed form of affidavit  
   24.     Authorised affidavit taker authorised to administer oath or affirmation  
   25.     Signature and oath requirements—deponent  
   26.     Requirements of authorised affidavit taker  
   27.     Jurat  
   28.     Affidavit by illiterate, blind or cognitively impaired person  
   28A.    Inability to comply with requirements—admission into evidence  
   28B.    Audio visual procedures do not limit other duties and obligations  
   29.     Minor non-compliance does not affect validity  

   PART 4--STATUTORY DECLARATIONS

   29A.    Electronic signatures and initials  
   30.     Statutory declarations made in Victoria  
   30A.    Requirements if statutory declaration made or witnessed by audio visual link or in electronic form  
   30B.    Audio visual procedures do not limit other duties and obligations  
   31.     Offence to take statutory declaration if not statutory declaration witness and offence to purport to be statutory declaration witness  
   32.     Provision of assistance to person making statutory declaration  
   33.     Statutory declarations made out of Victoria  
   34.     Reasonable modifications may be made  
   35.     Statutory declaration by illiterate, blind or cognitively impaired person  
   36.     Offence to make false statutory declaration  
   37.     False or misleading statement as to making of statutory declaration  
   38.     Minor non-compliance does not affect validity  

   PART 5--CERTIFICATION

           Division 1--Authorised certifiers

   39.     Authorised certifiers  

           Division 2--Scheme for certification of copies of original documents

   40.     Application  
   41.     Process for certifying copies of documents  
   42.     Process for certifying copy of a certified copy  
   43.     Multiple page documents  
   44.     Documents in languages other than English  
   45.     Minor non-compliance does not affect validity  

           Division 3--General certification offences

   46.     Application  
   47.     Offence to present false copy of a document for certification  
   48.     Offence to certify certain copies of documents  
   49.     False or misleading statement as to certification of copy of document  

   PART 6--GENERAL

   50.     Perjury to make false statement by oath, affirmation or affidavit  
   51.     Infringement offences  
   52.     Regulations  

   PART 7--TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS, REPEALS AND CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS

           Division 1--Repeals and transitional provisions

   53.     Administration of oaths and affirmations  
   54.     Oaths affirmations affidavits declarations  
           --Divisions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10 and 11 of Part IV of the Evidence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1958 are repealed.
   55.     Attestations verifications acknowledgements notarial Acts etc.  
   56.     Persons making wilful false statements on oath, declaration etc. guilty of perjury  
   57.     Abolition of extra-judicial oaths  
   58.     Form of oath and affirmation and affirmations in writing  
   60.     Transitional provisions—Justice Legislation Amendment (System Enhancements and Other Matters) Act 2021  
           SCHEDULE 1
           ENDNOTES