

However, since the Civil Procedure Rules came into force, witness statements are increasingly replacing affidavits.

Who can offer an affidavit?Īnyone who has sufficient mental capacity to understand the implications of making this type of oath can make affidavit.

If you make an affidavit, you are said to 'offer' it, even though a court might compel you to swear one.Īn affidavit is also known as a sworn statement, a statement under oath or a notarised statement. The meaning of the word affidavit is 'he has sworn' - the third person singular of the Latin verb affidare. For someone with evidence to present, swearing an affidavit may be more practical than appearing as a witness in court. In the UK, an affidavit must be sworn or affirmed in the presence of a Commissioner for Oaths - most commonly a solicitor or a notary public.Īffidavits are often used in court proceedings as additional evidence in conjunction with witness statements. An affidavit is a written statement of facts that has been sworn by oath or affirmed to be true.
