Brian Mac Mahon was appointed a Commission of Oaths in August 2023 by the Chief Justice.
A Commissioner for Oaths is a person who is authorised to verify affidavits, which are statements in writing and on oath, and other legal documents.
You may need the services of a Commissioner for Oaths if:
you are giving evidence on affidavit for court proceedings in Ireland
you are making an affirmation, declaration, acknowledgement, examination, or attestation for the purposes of court proceedings or
for the purposes of registration of documents
The Functions of a Commissioner for Oaths
The essential functions of a Commissioner for Oaths are:
to make sure that the evidence in question is in written form (the draft affidavit)
to establish that the person before him/her has read the draft affidavit and fully understands the contents
to require the person to swear that the affidavit is true by raising the appropriate Testament in the right hand and repeating the words of the oath
to verify that the affidavit was properly sworn by completing a "jurat" on the affidavit
to charge a fee for his/her services.
Rules
Oaths and Affirmations A person making an oath will be required to swear the oath by raising the New Testament. A person who is Jewish may swear the oath by raising the Old Testament. It's important to remember that you may also be required to provide evidence of your identity by the Commissioner particularly if you are having an affidavit verified (but this largely depends on the type of documents that is being verified). It is useful however to bring a standard form of identification with you on your visit:
Passport You must produce your original passport or driving license. A copy will be taken and filed together with a copy of the document to be sworn.
Utility bill You must prove your current residential address by producing a recent utility bill (not being a mobile phone bill) addressed to you at your stated address within the previous three months.
Please complete the documents Fully complete the documentation beforehand, ensuring you bring the entire document with you to the appointment.
Understanding the documents It is your responsibility to ensure that you understand the document you intend to sign and have verified.
The Commissioner will ask you to confirm that all the information you provided in correct before you sign it in his presence.
The oath to be taken by persons before the Commissioner for Oaths is as follows:
"I swear by Almighty God that this is my name and handwriting, and that the contents of this my affidavit are true".
A person who objects to being sworn on the grounds that taking an oath is against his/her religious belief or that he/she has no religious belief is permitted to make a solemn affirmation, which is phrased as follows:
"I, A.B., do solemnly and sincerely affirm that this is my name and handwriting, and that the contents of this my affidavit are true".
Rates
The fees a Commissioner for Oaths can charge are given in the Rules of the Superior Courts (Fees payable to Commissioners for Oaths) (SI 616 of 2003). There is a standard fee of €10 euro per signature for verifying statements. If there is an exhibit, for example a marriage certificate, attached to the document that needs to be signed, there is a €2 charge for that. Examples of Documents:-
