Each justice or judge of the United States shall take the following oath or affirmation before performing the duties of his office: “I, ___ ___, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent upon me as ___ under the Constitution and laws of the United States. So help me God.”
June 25, 1948, ch. 64662 Stat. 907Pub. L. 101–650, title IV, § 404104 Stat. 5124(, ; , , .)
Historical and Revision Notes
Feb. 9, 1893, ch. 74, § 327 Stat. 435Mar. 3, 1901, ch. 854, § 22331 Stat. 1224Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 23136 Stat. 1135Feb. 25, 1919, ch. 29, § 440 Stat. 1157Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 241, 372, and District of Columbia Code, 1940 ed., §§ 11–203, 11–303 (R.S.D.C., § 752, 18 Stat. pt. II, 90; , ; , ; , §§ 136, 137, 257, , 1161; , ).
section 372 of title 28This section consolidates sections 11–203 and 11–303 of District of Columbia Code, 1940 ed., and , U.S.C., 1940 ed., with that portion of section 241 of said title 28 providing that judges of the Court of Claims shall take an oath of office. The remainder of said section 241 comprises sections 171 and 173 of this title.
section 451 of this titleThe phrase “justice or judge of the United States” was substituted for “justices of the Supreme Court, the circuit judges, and the district judges” appearing in said section 372, in order to extend the provisions of this section to judges of the Court of Claims, Customs Court, and Court of Customs and Patent Appeals and to all judges of any court which may be created by enactment of Congress. See definition in .
The Attorney General has ruled that the expression “any judge of any court of the United States” applied to the Chief Justice and all judges of the Court of Claims. (21 Op. Atty. Gen. 449.)
Editorial Notes
Amendments
Pub. L. 101–6501990— substituted “under the Constitution” for “according to the best of my abilities and understanding, agreeably to the Constitution”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 1990 Amendment
Pub. L. 101–650section 407 of Pub. L. 101–650section 332 of this titleAmendment by effective 90 days after , see , set out as a note under .