affidavit

An affidavit ( ) is a written sworn statement of fact voluntarily made by an affiant or deponent under an oath or affirmation administered by a person authorized to do so by law. Such statement is witnessed as to the authenticity of the affiant's signature by a taker of oaths, such as a notary public or commissioner of oaths. The name is Medieval Latin for he/she has declared upon oath. An affidavit is a type of verified statement or showing, or in other words, it contains a verification, meaning it is under oath or penalty of perjury, and this serves as evidence to its veracity and is required for court proceedings. It is done with the help of court, with a stamp paper Affidavits may be written in the first or third person, depending on who drafted the document. If in the first person, the document's component parts are typically as follows:

• A commencement which identifies the "affiant of truth", generally stating that everything is true, under penalty of perjury, fine, or imprisonment
• An attestation clause, usually a jurat, at the end certifying the affiant made oath and the date
• Signatures of the author and witness

Ein Affidavit (nach deutschem Recht die Versicherung an Eides statt) entstammt der mittelalterlichen Rechtssprache. Affidavit (lateinisch) heißt: „(er) hat zugesichert“; es ist die 3. Person Perfekt von affidare „versichern“, „Treue versprechen“, „Schutz versprechen“.

Die Versicherung an Eides statt ist

• a) eine besondere Beteuerung, mit der eine Person bekräftigt, dass eine bestimmte Erklärung der Wahrheit entspricht (Eid),
• b) ein in bestimmten Fällen vor Gericht zugelassenes Mittel der Beweisführung (Glaubhaftmachung).

Un affidavit est un écrit dans lequel on déclare solennellement devant une personne autorisée par la loi, par exemple un commissaire assermenté, que les faits qui y sont énoncés sont vrais.

Negli ordinamenti di common law l'affidavit (in latino diede affidamento, giurò) è una dichiarazione scritta, resa da una persona (detta affiant o deponent) attorno a uno o più fatti giuridici e confermata dal giuramento davanti a un commissioner for oaths, che può essere un notary public (figura diversa dal notaio cosiddetto latino dei paesi di civil law), avvocato, giudice di pace o altro soggetto autorizzato.