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Forms of oaths to be taken by jurors.
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54.—(1) Whenever the issue to be tried by the jury is whether an accused person or a number of accused persons is or is not or are or are not guilty of a crime or offence, the form of oath to be administered to the jurors shall be as follows, that is to say:—
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“I will well and truly try the issue whether the accused is (or are) guilty or not guilty of the offence (or the several offences) charged in the indictment preferred against him (or her or them) and a true verdict give according to the evidence.”
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(2) Whenever it is intended that more than one such issue as is mentioned in the foregoing sub-section shall be tried by the jury, the oath to be administered to the jurors shall be in the form set out in the foregoing sub-section with the addition thereto of the following words, that is to say:—“and will in every respect so act in relation to all such other accused persons as may be given to me in charge for trial.”
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(3) Whenever the issue to be tried by the jury is whether an accused person is or is not competent to plead, the form of the oath to be administered to the jurors shall be as follows, that is to say:—
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“I will well and diligently inquire whether (stating the name of the accused person), the prisoner at the bar, be insane or not and a true verdict give according to the best of my understanding.”
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(4) Whenever the issue to be tried by the jury is whether an accused person who stands mute is mute of malice or by the visitation of God, the form of the oath to be administered to the jurors shall be as follows, that is to say:—
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“I will well and truly try whether (stating the name of the accused person), the prisoner at the bar, is mute of malice or by the visitation of God and a true verdict give according to the evidence.”
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(5) Whenever the issue to be tried by the jury is not one of the issues hereinbefore expressly provided for, the form of the oath to be administered to the jurors shall be as follows, that is to say:—
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“I will well and truly try all such issues as shall be given to me to try and true verdicts give according to the evidence.”
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