Lying

Bags That is when you make an affirmation instead of swearing on the bible or whatever. I had to make such a declaration as executor of my mothers will (That I would carry out my executor duties according to her wishes etc.)

There was a choice of swearing before God or as I think its called a solemn affirmation. A serious undertaking.

OK, thanks. So however one makes the promise to tell the truth, if one is found to have lied, one is in contempt of court. Nice and straightforward.

I gave evidence at the inquest into my father's death. This was in an Irish court where I declined to swear on the bible but gave an affirmation as follows:

“I, do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that the evidence that I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth”.

I think I would, in any circumstance, find it very difficult to make such an affirmation and then immediately break it.

That's interesting Nelliemoser, I've never had to affirm anything as an executor of a will.

absent You are probably right and it must have been the the Power of Attorney. At the time I didnt know if I was on my arse or my elbow.

It was a dreadful time with my father dying in one hospital and my mum in another 12 miles away, having lost the plot completely. They died with two months of each other in 2002.

Q: How do you apply for probate or letters of administration?
The application is in the form of an oath that the executors or administrators (as the case may be) need to "swear" before a Solicitor not from the firm who prepared the oath. This means that you swear on the Bible that the contents of the oath are true, although if you do not wish to use the Bible you may affirm instead. The reason it is done this way is that if you swear the oath knowing the contents are incorrect then it is perjury. Once sworn the oath sent to the Probate Registry along with the original Will which is then retained by the Probate Registry. Once probate has been granted the Will becomes a matter of public record. Unless there has been any objection to the application lodged at the Probate Registry, the application generally takes around 2 weeks

I had to take an oath, or affirmation, when I changed my name by deed poll and also, I think, when I signed the Official Secrets Act.

I wish I could be as sure of how I would react as some of you are. I really hate lying so my first instinct was to say that I would not do so under any circumstances. Now I am not quite so sure and think I could only answer this if I was in the situation.

When I find out/suspect that someone is lying I react very strongly as I do with any form of cheating or duplicity. It has been said that I am naive and that may well be true but I have to look at myself in the mirror and my self respect is important to me.

No moral dilemma for me - I would lie in court to save a friend's life.

If the friend had committed some heinous crime such as murder I'd square it with my conscience somehow!

I am still 'on the fence' about this. But I don't think I could commit perjury.

whenim64 is right - you can affirm to tell the truth - people in court whether jurors or witnesses do it all the time. Difficult question - would you lie for a good friend or a member of your family. When the little boy Rees was shot by a teenager in Liverpool a few years ago - the mother of the witness lied to the police to give her son an alibi. She may well have thought she was being loyal to her son, but he killed a child for no reason at all, if my child did that I'd turn him into the police - for his own sake as well as the child's family sake. But - until you are faced with the situation what would you do? If there was capital punishment here would you lie to save your child?

I'm with Jeni on this one!