
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 2, 2001]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 2, 2001 and January 28, 2002]
[CITE: 28USC453]

 
               TITLE 28--JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE
 
                     PART I--ORGANIZATION OF COURTS
 
     CHAPTER 21--GENERAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO COURTS AND JUDGES
 
Sec. 453. Oaths of justices and judges

    Each justice or judge of the United States shall take the following 
oath or affirmation before performing the duties of this 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. 646, 62 Stat. 907; Pub. L. 101-650, title IV, 
Sec. 404, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5124.)


                      Historical and Revision Notes

    Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Secs. 241, 372, and District of 
Columbia Code, 1940 ed., Secs. 11-203, 11-303 (R.S.D.C., Sec. 752, 18 
Stat. pt. II, 90; Feb. 9, 1893, ch. 74, Sec. 3, 27 Stat. 435; Mar. 3, 
1901, ch. 854, Sec. 223, 31 Stat. 1224; Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, 
Secs. 136, 137, 257, 36 Stat. 1135, 1161; Feb. 25, 1919, ch. 29, Sec. 4, 
40 Stat. 1157).
    This section consolidates sections 11-203 and 11-303 of District of 
Columbia Code, 1940 ed., and section 372 of title 28, 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.
    The 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 
section 451 of this title.
    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.)


                               Amendments

    1990--Pub. L. 101-650 substituted ``under the Constitution'' for 
``according to the best of my abilities and understanding, agreeably to 
the Constitution''.


                    Effective Date of 1990 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 101-650 effective 90 days after Dec. 1, 1990, 
see section 407 of Pub. L. 101-650, set out as a note under section 332 
of this title.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 153, 460, 631, 655 of this 
title.
