A sentence is provided in indirect speech. From the four given options, choose the one that most accurately conveys the sentence in its corresponding direct speech. The magistrate declared that justice must be upheld regardless of the consequences.

To convert a sentence from indirect speech to direct speech, we need to restore the exact words spoken by the speaker.

Given Indirect Speech:
The magistrate declared that justice must be upheld regardless of the consequences.

Step-by-Step Conversion Rules:

1. Identify the Reporting Clause and Main Verb:
The reporting clause is "The magistrate declared". In direct speech, this reporting clause can be placed either before or after the reported statement.

2. Remove the Conjunction:
In indirect reporting of statements, "that" is used as a conjunction. When converting back to direct speech, we remove "that" and enclose the spoken words within quotation marks ("...").

3. Restore the Original Modal Verb and Sentence Structure:
The core statement reported is "justice must be upheld regardless of the consequences". Since "must" expresses an imperative rule or universal legal duty here, its form remains "must" in direct speech. The exact words spoken were: “Justice must be upheld regardless of the consequences.”

4. Assemble the Direct Speech Sentence:
Combining the exact words with the reporting verb gives:
“Justice must be upheld regardless of the consequences,” the magistrate declared.

Correct Answer:
“Justice must be upheld regardless of the consequences,” the magistrate declared.