Inasmuch as many judgments in actions tried by juries are set aside and vacated on account of errors in instructions; and, whereas, justice is withheld, delayed, and, in some cases, denied on account of such erroneous instructions; and, the compilation and adoption of a body of uniform instructions in civil and criminal cases tried by juries in the courts of this state is necessary to the equal and uniform administration of justice; and, whereas, the justices and judges of the appellate courts of this state are in the best position to properly prescribe such instructions on this subject to the Legislature; the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma and the Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma are respectively requested and authorized to proceed to prescribe and institute uniform instructions to be given in jury trials of civil or criminal cases, such instructions to be called: "Oklahoma Uniform Jury Instructions." (OUJI).
§ 577.1.Oklahoma Uniform Jury Instructions - Institution of
Chapter 11: Trial · Last amended April 19, 1968 · Last verified August 3, 2026
In one sentenceSection 577.1 asks and authorizes the Oklahoma Supreme Court and the Court of Criminal Appeals to create a uniform set of jury instructions for civil and criminal trials, called the Oklahoma Uniform Jury Instructions (OUJI).
Full Text of § 577.1
Amendment History
Laws 1968, HB 1221, c. 201, § 1, emerg. eff. 4/19/1968.
Plain-English Summary
The Legislature adopted this section on a finding that erroneous jury instructions were getting judgments set aside and vacated, delaying and sometimes denying justice. To address that, it requested and authorized the Supreme Court of Oklahoma and the Court of Criminal Appeals -- the courts best positioned to prescribe such instructions -- to prepare and institute a uniform body of instructions for civil and criminal jury trials, to be called the Oklahoma Uniform Jury Instructions, or OUJI.
Section 577.2 then makes those instructions the default choice whenever one applies, Section 577.3 asks for the funding to carry the project out, and Section 577.4 requires a specific OUJI instruction about the tax treatment of damage awards.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does OUJI stand for and who created it?
Oklahoma Uniform Jury Instructions -- Section 577.1 requests and authorizes the Supreme Court of Oklahoma and the Court of Criminal Appeals to prescribe and institute them.
Why did the Legislature ask for uniform jury instructions?
Because erroneous instructions were causing judgments to be set aside and vacated, delaying or denying justice.
Does this section itself write any jury instructions?
No. It authorizes and requests the two appellate courts to prescribe and institute the instructions; it doesn't draft them.
Do OUJI instructions cover both civil and criminal trials?
Yes. The section directs both courts to prescribe uniform instructions for jury trials of civil or criminal cases.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes, enacted by the Oklahoma Legislature.
Last verified August 3, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: what is ouji oklahomaoklahoma uniform jury instructions origin12 O.S. § 577.1who writes oklahoma jury instructions