Re: Swearing an oath

Alasdair wrote:
On Sun, 5 Oct 2008 23:23:05 +0100, "Bramble-Stick" <biffy@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

Other than perpetuating the richness of the tradition of legal
system, what purpose is there in this procedure?

I recently encountered this foible while transferring a dead
relative's worldly assets to my keeping, for the sum of £5.50. Being
a truthful person, I took the oath. It occurred to me that if I was
attempting fraud, I could just have easily lied.

If you object to taking an oath, you can solemnly affirm.

I have read somewhere that taking an oath in some cultures involves
smashing crockery on the floor and such an oath is valid in a British
court. Has this ever actually happened, I wonder?

Yes; it's a Chinese form of taking the oath; another version involves
snuffing out the flame of a candle. When I worked in Liverpool Magistrates'
Court in the 1970s, it occasionally happened. I remember one occasion when a
Muslim witness (uncommon then) required a copy of the Koran, which to avoid
being contaminated by "infidel" hands, was kept in a large envelope.
Unfortunately, the court Usher didn't know that, and removed it from the
envelope and handed it to the witness, who complained that it had been
"defiled". Since there was only one copy of the Koran in the whole building,
I instructed the Usher to get the "other Koran - in the other envelope", and
luckily, he either twigged or someone told him. Either way, the witness was
happy with the "other Koran".



.

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