Section 24A — Evidence Act 1995 (NSW)

Alternative oath

(1) A person may take an oath even if the person’s religious or spiritual beliefs do not include a belief in the existence of a god.
(2) Despite anything to the contrary in this Act, the form of oath taken by a person—
(a) need not include a reference to a god, and
(b) may instead refer to the basis of the person’s beliefs in accordance with a form prescribed by the regulations.
Note. The Commonwealth Act does not include an equivalent provision to section 24A.

Sourced from the New South Wales Legislation website at 8 June 2026. For the latest information on New South Wales Government legislation please go to https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au. Verify the current text against the official source before relying on it.

Related sections

s 22 — Interpreters to act on oath or affirmation
s 23 — Choice of oath or affirmation
s 24 — Requirements for oaths
s 25 — Rights to make unsworn statements unaffected
s 26 — Court’s control over questioning of witnesses
s 27 — Parties may question witnesses

Research how courts apply s 24A

BriefBridge searches NSW and High Court caselaw by meaning — every answer cited to the paragraph.

Try BriefBridge free