Statutory declaration

<h2 id="australia">Australia</h2>
<a href="/facts/Australian_law/WTQrBu6B">Australian law</a> defines a statutory declaration as a written statement declared to be true in the presence of an authorised witness. The Statutory Declarations Act 1959 governs the use of statutory declarations in matters involving the law of the <a href="/facts/Australia/qLHpbppq">Australian</a> Commonwealth, <a href="/facts/Australian_Capital_Territory/wvCnG3y7">Australian Capital Territory</a>, and other territories but not including the <a href="/facts/Northern_Territory/5BFWuuyv">Northern Territory</a>.
Any person within the <a href="/facts/Jurisdiction/0Kb8hao4">jurisdiction</a> of this law may make a statutory declaration in relation to any matter. The declaration may be used in connection with matters of law, including judicial proceedings, but what weight is given to the declaration is a matter for the <a href="/facts/Judge/2MgrCxc1">judge</a> to decide.
Statutory declarations must be made in a prescribed form and witnessed by a person as specified in the Statutory Declarations Regulations 2023. Prescribed witnesses include people on the roll of the High Court or the Supreme Court of a State or Territory, legal or medical practitioners, <a href="/facts/Justice_of_the_peace/TNVBnh4l">justices of the peace</a>, <a href="/facts/Notary_public/8awyPcXu">notaries public</a>, police officers, military officers, registered members of certain professional organisations (e.g. National Tax Accountant's Association or Engineers Australia), and certain other Commonwealth employees.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1">1</a>
Intentionally making a false statement as a statutory declaration is a crime equivalent to <a href="/facts/Perjury/n3h9F4QF">perjury</a>, and punishable by fines and/or a prison sentence of up to four years.
The <a href="/facts/States_and_territories_of_Australia/kUd6AV5c">states and territories of Australia</a> each have their own laws regarding statutory declarations.

<h2 id="canada">Canada</h2>
In Canadian jurisdictions, statutory declarations are statements of facts written down and attested to by the declarant before individuals who are authorized to administer <a href="/facts/Oath/jswyhfwI">oaths</a> except that they are normally used outside of court settings. They have the same effect in law as a sworn statement or affidavit. In federal proceedings, the form is governed by the <a href="/facts/Canada_Evidence_Act/Rg23obBY">Canada Evidence Act</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2">2</a> Similar provision is made by the various provinces for use in proceedings within their respective jurisdictions.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3">3</a>
A person who makes a false declaration can be charged with <a href="/facts/Perjury/n3h9F4QF">perjury</a> under the <a href="/facts/Criminal_Code_(Canada)/RrYNJ2U7">Criminal Code</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4">4</a>

<h2 id="united-states">United States</h2>
Although the terminology statutory declaration is not used frequently in the United States, unsworn declarations may invoke a statute that makes such a declaration the functional equivalent of a sworn affidavit.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5">5</a>

<h2 id="united-kingdom">United Kingdom</h2>
Statutory declarations can be used as a method of legally <a href="/facts/Name_change/54cmuAsD">changing one's name</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6">6</a> They may be used by UK financial institutions to enable an asset of a relatively small value (usually less than £15,000) to be transferred to the executors of a will or other persons legally entitled to deal with or benefit from the estate of a person who has died.

<h3>England and Wales</h3>

Under the Statutory Declarations Act 1835 (<a href="/facts/5_%26_6_Will._4/P1oM5TTK">5 & 6 Will. 4</a>. c. 62),<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7">7</a> a declaration can be made before anyone who is authorised by law to hear it (for example, a solicitor or legal executive),<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8">8</a> or before any <a href="/facts/Justice_of_the_peace/TNVBnh4l">justice of the peace</a>. In addition, officers of the armed services with the equivalent rank of major and above, and British diplomatic and consular officers in post abroad, may authenticate a statutory declaration.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9">9</a>
The person who hears the declaration need not enquire into the truth of it. That person's function is limited to hearing the declaration, and certifying that he or she has done so by signing it. If the declaration turns out to be untrue, the defendant making it may be punished for perjury.
The form of the statutory declaration is prescribed in the schedule<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10">10</a> to the Act:

<blockquote>"I (full name), do solemnly and sincerely declare that the contents of this declaration are true. And I make this declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true and by virtue of the provisions of the Statutory Declarations Act 1835."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11">11</a></blockquote>
A standard form is used for a statutory declaration; one copy will be given to the applicant and the other is held on file.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12">12</a>

<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Affidavit/Tf5KFsCH">Affidavit</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Sworn_declaration/83F1PcAf">Sworn declaration</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="http://www.ag.gov.au/statdec">Statutory Declarations – Australian Attorney-General's Department</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.comlaw.gov.au/ComLaw/Legislation/ActCompilation1.nsf/all/search/7E3AE20F8329B422CA256F71004DB642">Statutory Declarations Act 1959 (Australia)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.comlaw.gov.au/ComLaw/Legislation/LegislativeInstrumentCompilation1.nsf/all/search/6C758B9AD95D8777CA2570C3007EEFA7">Statutory Declarations Regulations 1993 (Australia)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1938_37.html">Statutory Declarations Act, 1938 (Ireland)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1957/0088/latest/whole.html">Oaths and Declarations Act 1957 (New Zealand)</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">"Who can witness your statutory declaration". Australian Government Attorney General's Department. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022. <a href="https://www.ag.gov.au/legal-system/statutory-declarations/who-can-witness-your-statutory-declaration" target="_blank">https://www.ag.gov.au/legal-system/statutory-declarations/who-can-witness-your-statutory-declaration</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">Canada Evidence Act, RSC 1985, c C-5, s 41. <a href="https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-5/page-26.html#h-13" target="_blank">https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-5/page-26.html#h-13</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">"INSTRUCTIONS TO PERSONS AUTHORIZED TO ADMINISTER OATHS, AFFIRMATIONS AND SOLEMN DECLARATIONS WITHIN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA" (PDF). Retrieved 28 June 2012. <a href="http://www.servicealberta.ca/pdf/ltmanual/AFF-1-SCHEDULEA.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.servicealberta.ca/pdf/ltmanual/AFF-1-SCHEDULEA.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">Criminal Code, RSC 1985, c C-46, s 131. <a href="https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/page-73.html#h-53" target="_blank">https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/page-73.html#h-53</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">28 USC 1746 (federal statutory declaration). See also, e.g., 735 ILCS 5/1-109 (Illinois statutory declaration) <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">CAB Statutory declaration of change of name for adults (Scotland) <a href="https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland/family/birth-certificates-and-changing-your-name-s/changing-your-name-s/" target="_blank">https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland/family/birth-certificates-and-changing-your-name-s/changing-your-name-s/</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">Statutory Declarations Act 1835 Extent England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Will4/5-6/62/contents" target="_blank">http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Will4/5-6/62/contents</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">section 12(1)(f) and
Schedule 2 Legal Services Act 2007. See also: Institute of Paralegals <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2007/29/section/12" target="_blank">http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2007/29/section/12</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">Passport policy – Statutory Declarations <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/118551/statutory-declarations.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/118551/statutory-declarations.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:10">Statutory Declarations Act 1835 [1835 c. 62 (Regnal. 5 & 6 Will 4)] <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Will4/5-6/62/schedule/1" target="_blank">http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Will4/5-6/62/schedule/1</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:11">Adult Court Bench Book, page 176. Judicial College, 2023 <a href="https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Adult-Court-Bench-Book-May-2023.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Adult-Court-Bench-Book-May-2023.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:12">Statutory Declaration Form as laid down by the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980, section 14 and Criminal Procedure Rules, rule 37.11. <a href="http://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/criminal/docs/2014/crim-pr-form-part37-statutory-declaration-revised-feb-2014.doc" target="_blank">http://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/criminal/docs/2014/crim-pr-form-part37-statutory-declaration-revised-feb-2014.doc</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

Statutory declaration open-in-new

Statutory declaration