Affidavit
Updated 2026-09-29
An affidavit is a written statement of facts, signed by the person making it (called the deponent) and sworn or affirmed before a Commissioner for Oaths. It becomes evidence the court can rely on without the person speaking in person.
In a civil claim, an affidavit is commonly used to support an application, such as one for a freeze order, by setting out what happened, when, and how the writer knows it to be true.
Because an affidavit is made under oath, stating something false in it can amount to a criminal offence. It should contain only facts the deponent genuinely knows, not opinions or assumptions dressed up as fact.
When it matters
Most urgent court applications in a scam case, including freeze and preservation orders, are supported by an affidavit rather than oral evidence.
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