Oaths and Declarations Act 2000 - Singapore Statutes Online

PART 4

OATHS OF OFFICE AND ALLEGIANCE

Manner of taking oath of office, etc.

15.—(1) The oath of allegiance mentioned in Part 1 of the Second Schedule, and the oath of office mentioned in Part 2 of that Schedule, must be tendered to and taken by all persons required under any written law to take an oath of office.

(2) The oath of allegiance mentioned in Part 1 of the Second Schedule, and the judicial oath mentioned in Part 3 of that Schedule, must be tendered to and taken by all persons required under any written law to take a judicial oath.

(2A) To avoid doubt, where an oath is required to be tendered to and taken under subsection (1) or (2), or an affirmation in lieu thereof is to be made under section 16, a person may take the oath or make the affirmation by appearing before the person administering the oath or affirmation through a live video link or live television link created using a remote communication technology that allows the person administering the oath or affirmation to —

(a)	maintain visual contact and communicate with the person taking the oath or making the affirmation, and any interpreter present, throughout the process;
(b)	confirm the identity of the person taking the oath or making the affirmation, and any interpreter present; and
(c)	if the oath or affirmation is to be subscribed, verify by inspection the oath or affirmation to be subscribed. [Act 25 of 2023 wef 01/12/2023]

(3) This section does not affect any other written law which prescribes the form and manner in which an oath of office or a judicial oath (as the case may be) may be tendered and taken.

Circumstances under which affirmation may be made

16. Any person who —

(a)	is a Hindu or Muslim or of some other religion according to which oaths are not of binding force; or
(b)	has a conscientious objection to taking an oath,

and who is required to take an oath of office or judicial oath under any written law may, instead of taking the oaths mentioned in section 15(1) or (2) (as the case may be), make an affirmation in the form of those oaths, substituting the words “solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm” for the word “swear” and omitting the words “So help me God”.

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