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					<dc:identifier>http://www.legislation.gov.uk/apni/1954/33/section/26</dc:identifier><dc:title>Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954</dc:title><dc:description>An Act to make provision with respect to the operation, interpretation and citation of Acts of the Parliament of Northern Ireland and of instruments made thereunder.</dc:description><dc:type>text</dc:type><dc:format>text/xml</dc:format><dc:language>en</dc:language><dc:publisher>Statute Law Database</dc:publisher><dc:modified>2026-04-27</dc:modified><dc:contributor>Expert Participation</dc:contributor><dct:valid>2026-04-01</dct:valid>
					
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					<ukm:PrimaryMetadata><ukm:DocumentClassification><ukm:DocumentCategory Value="primary"/><ukm:DocumentMainType Value="NorthernIrelandParliamentAct"/><ukm:DocumentStatus Value="revised"/></ukm:DocumentClassification><ukm:Year Value="1954"/><ukm:Number Value="33"/><ukm:EnactmentDate Date="1954-12-21"/></ukm:PrimaryMetadata>
					

                    
									 
					
					
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				</ukm:Metadata><Primary><Body DocumentURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/apni/1954/33/body" IdURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/apni/1954/33/body" NumberOfProvisions="53" RestrictStartDate="2026-04-01"><Part DocumentURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/apni/1954/33/part" IdURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/apni/1954/33/part" NumberOfProvisions="53" id="part" RestrictExtent="N.I." RestrictStartDate="2026-04-01"><Title/><Chapter DocumentURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/apni/1954/33/part/chapter/n2" IdURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/apni/1954/33/part/chapter/n2" NumberOfProvisions="28" id="part-chapter-n2" RestrictExtent="N.I." RestrictStartDate="2024-01-01"><Number/><Title>Operation of enactments</Title><P1group RestrictExtent="N.I." RestrictStartDate="2006-01-01"><Title>Oaths, affirmations and declarations.</Title><P1 DocumentURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/apni/1954/33/section/26" IdURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/apni/1954/33/section/26" id="section-26"><Pnumber>26</Pnumber><P1para><P2 DocumentURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/apni/1954/33/section/26/1" IdURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/apni/1954/33/section/26/1" id="section-26-1"><Pnumber>1</Pnumber><P2para><Text>Where any enactment passed or made after the commencement of this Act authorises or requires evidence to be taken on oath, or authorises or directs an oath to be made, taken or administered, the oath may be administered, and a certificate or acknowledgment of its having been made, taken or administered may be given, by anyone authorised by the enactment to take the evidence, or by a judge of any court, a notary public, or a commissioner for oaths or justice of the peace having authority or jurisdiction in the place where the oath is administered.</Text></P2para></P2><P2 DocumentURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/apni/1954/33/section/26/2" IdURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/apni/1954/33/section/26/2" id="section-26-2"><Pnumber>2</Pnumber><P2para><Text>In every enactment, the words “oath” and “affidavit” shall, <CommentaryRef Ref="c16948161"/>..., include affirmation and declaration; and the word “swear” shall, <CommentaryRef Ref="c16948161"/>..., include affirm and declare.</Text></P2para></P2><P2 DocumentURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/apni/1954/33/section/26/3" IdURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/apni/1954/33/section/26/3" id="section-26-3"><Pnumber>3</Pnumber><P2para><Text>A reference in an enactment to a statutory declaration shall be construed as a reference to a declaration made by virtue of the Statutory Declarations Act, 1835<CommentaryRef Ref="M_M_6cfbf6bf-40af-43cb-8b42-375a816756af"/>.</Text></P2para></P2><P2 DocumentURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/apni/1954/33/section/26/4" IdURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/apni/1954/33/section/26/4" id="section-26-4"><Pnumber>4</Pnumber><P2para><Text>A power conferred by an enactment upon a <Addition ChangeId="d29p1198" CommentaryRef="c16948181">lay magistrate or</Addition> justice of the peace to administer any oath or affirmation, or to take any affidavit or declaration, may be exercised by a notary public or a commissioner for oaths.</Text></P2para></P2></P1para></P1></P1group></Chapter></Part></Body></Primary><Commentaries><Commentary id="c16948161" Type="F"><Para><Text><Citation URI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ukpga/1977/38" id="c00357" Year="1977" Class="UnitedKingdomPublicGeneralAct" Number="38">1977 c. 38</Citation></Text></Para></Commentary><Commentary id="c16948181" Type="F"><Para><Text><Citation URI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ukpga/2002/26" id="c00358" Year="2002" Class="UnitedKingdomPublicGeneralAct" Number="26">2002 c.26</Citation></Text></Para></Commentary><Commentary id="M_M_6cfbf6bf-40af-43cb-8b42-375a816756af" Type="M"><Para><Text><Citation URI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ukpga/1835/62" id="d14e1" Year="1835" Class="UnitedKingdomPublicGeneralAct" Number="62">1835 c. 62</Citation></Text></Para></Commentary></Commentaries></Legislation>