The Judges Oath

Added: 2026-05-19

[00:00:02][music] >> The judges oath.

[00:00:19]What is it and what does it mean for living men and living women?

[00:00:24]Taken from the website www.judiciary.uk Judges take two core oaths affirmations when sworn in.

[00:00:35]An oath of allegiance and a judicial oath.

[00:00:38]Together these are commonly referred to as the judicial oath.

[00:00:42]One, oath of allegiance.

[00:00:45]I do swear by almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to his majesty King Charles the third, his heirs and successors according to law.

[00:00:57]Plain English meaning.

[00:00:59]The judges promise in loyalty to the crown but importantly according to law.

[00:01:04]For the people this means the judge is not supposed to act as a private person, political actor, council supporter, government employee or personal decision maker.

[00:01:15]Their allegiance is tied to the lawful constitutional system not to personal preference or institutional convenience.

[00:01:23]The key words are according to law.

[00:01:26]That means loyalty is not blind obedience.

[00:01:29]It is allegiance within the limits of lawful authority.

[00:01:33]What it means for ordinary people, it means a judge should not simply back the government, a council, HMCTS, police or any public body because they are official.

[00:01:46]The judges loyalty is meant to be to lawful authority, lawful process and the constitutional order.

[00:01:54]Two, judicial oath. I do swear by almighty God that I will well and truly serve our sovereign King Charles III in the office of and I will do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of this realm without fear or favor, affection or ill will.

[00:02:14]Plain English meaning.

[00:02:16]This is the more important oath for the public.

[00:02:19]The judge promises to serve properly in the judicial office.

[00:02:24]That means the judge must act within the role given to them, not outside it.

[00:02:30]Do right to all manner of people.

[00:02:32]This means justice is owed to everyone, rich or poor, council or resident, government or individual, represented or unrepresented, popular or unpopular.

[00:02:44]Act according to the laws and usages of this realm.

[00:02:48]This means the judge must apply the law of England and Wales, including proper procedure, evidence, lawful jurisdiction, and established legal principles. Act without fear or favor.

[00:03:02]This means the judge must not be intimidated by powerful bodies and must not give special treatment to any party.

[00:03:09]Act without affection or ill will.

[00:03:12]This means the judge must not decide matters based on liking, dislike, sympathy, irritation, bias, hostility, or personal opinion.

[00:03:22]What it means for ordinary people.

[00:03:25]This oath means the judge has a duty to give people a fair hearing and apply the law properly.

[00:03:32]A living man or woman should not be disadvantaged because they are challenging a council, bank, government department, police force, or court administration.

[00:03:42]It also means a judge should not rubber stamp paperwork simply because it comes from an authority.

[00:03:49]If a person raises a serious point about jurisdiction, missing court records, lack of service, defective procedure, or lack of evidence, the judge should deal with it properly.

[00:04:01]Three.

[00:04:02]Affirmation of allegiance.

[00:04:04]I do solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles III, his heirs and successors, according to law.

[00:04:18]Plain English meaning.

[00:04:20]This is the same as the oath of allegiance, but without swearing by God.

[00:04:24]Some people do not swear religious oaths, so they make a solemn affirmation instead.

[00:04:30]It carries the same seriousness and effect. What it means for ordinary people. It makes no practical difference to the public whether a judge swears an oath or gives an affirmation.

[00:04:42]The obligation is still the same, loyalty to the constitutional office according to law, not according to personal opinion or institutional pressure. Four.

[00:04:54]Judicial affirmation.

[00:04:56]I do solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm that I will well and truly serve our sovereign King Charles III in the office of and I will do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of this realm without fear or favor, affection or ill will.

[00:05:16]Plain English meaning.

[00:05:18]This is the non-religious version of the judicial oath.

[00:05:22]It carries the same meaning.

[00:05:24]The judge promises to act lawfully, fairly, independently, and impartially.

[00:05:30]What it means for ordinary people.

[00:05:33]Again, it means every living man or woman is entitled to proper justice.

[00:05:38]The judge must not treat one side as automatically correct just because they are an official body.

[00:05:44]Equally, the judge must not favor an individual just because they are vulnerable or distressed. The judge must decide according to law, evidence, jurisdiction, and proper process.

[00:05:58]Plain English summary.

[00:06:00]A judge's oath means a judge must serve the law, not the system. They must treat every living man or woman fairly.

[00:06:09]They must not favor councils, government departments, banks, police, HMC DTS, solicitors, or any other authority simply because they are official.

[00:06:21]They must not punish or dismiss ordinary people for asking difficult questions.

[00:06:27]They must act only within lawful jurisdiction and according to evidence, procedure, and the laws of the realm.

[00:06:35]The most important words for the people are do right to all manner of people and without fear or favor, affection, or ill will.

[00:06:45]That is the heart of the judicial oath.

[00:06:49]Knowledge is power.

[00:06:53]Funk star.