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Oath of Allegiance (Canada)

November 23, 2023

The Canadian Oath of Allegiance is a promise or declaration of fealty to the Canadian monarch—as personification of the Canadian state and its authority, rather than as an individual person—taken, along with other specific oaths of office, by new occupants of various federal and provincial government offices; members of federal, provincial, and municipal police forces; members of the Canadian Armed Forces; and, in some provinces, all lawyers upon admission to the bar. The Oath of Allegiance also makes up the first portion of the Oath of Citizenship, the taking of which is a requirement of obtaining Canadian nationality.

Peter MacKay (left) reciting the Oath of Allegiance, as administered by Kevin G. Lynch (right), Clerk of the Privy Council, and in the presence of Governor General Michaëlle Jean (seated, centre), at Rideau Hall, 14 August 2007

The vow's roots lie in the oath taken in the United Kingdom, the modern form of which was implemented in 1689 by King William II and III and Queen Mary II[1] and was used in Canada prior to Confederation. The Canadian oath was established at that time in the British North America Act, 1867 (now Constitution Act, 1867), meaning that alteration or elimination of the oath for parliamentarians requires a constitutional amendment. The Oath of Allegiance has also been slightly altered and made or removed as a requirement for admission to other offices or positions through act of Parliament or letters patent, to which proposals have been put forward for further abolishment or modification.

Composition edit

The present form of the Oath of Allegiance, which derives from that which was, and still is, taken by parliamentarians in the United Kingdom,[2] is:

I, [name], do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles the Third, King of Canada, his heirs and successors. So help me God.[3]

A person may choose to replace the word swear with affirm and to omit the phrase so help me God. The oath taker is also given the option of either swearing on a holy book or not.

The oath for senators and members of Parliament has stood the same since Confederation; according to Section IX.128 of the Constitution Act, 1867: "Every member of the Senate and the House of Commons of Canada shall, before taking his seat therein, take and subscribe before the governor general, or some person authorized by him, and every member of a legislative council or legislative assembly of any province shall, before the lieutenant governor of the province, or some person authorized by him, the Oath of Allegiance contained in the Fifth Schedule to the act."[4] The oath set out in said schedule is, "I, [name], do swear, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Victoria", with the further instruction that "the name of the king or queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland for the time being is to be substituted from time to time, with proper terms of reference thereto."[n 1] The oath thus currently reads as follows:

I, [name], do swear, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles III.[5]

In French, this is:

Je, [nom], jure que je serai fidèle et porterai une vraie allégeance à Sa Majesté le Roi Charles III.[6]

For those parliamentarians whose religion prohibits the swearing of oaths, there exists a compromise affirmation, first instituted in 1905:

I, [name], do solemnly, sincerely and truly affirm and declare the taking of an oath is according to my religious belief unlawful, and I do also solemnly, sincerely and truly affirm and declare that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles III.[7]

Purpose edit

The Oath of Allegiance was implemented to acknowledge the supremacy of the reigning monarch of Canada;[8] allegiance is to the "natural person of the king [or queen, as the case may be]",[9] but, it is to them as the personification of the Canadian state.[10] Professor Yan Campagnolo stated, "an oath to the King is not an oath to the person who wears the Crown at a given time; rather, it is an oath to an institution that symbolizes our system of government, a democratic constitutional monarchy. An oath to the King is therefore an oath to our system of government and homeland, not an oath to a foreign monarch."[10] Along that line, in the military context, specifically, the King is the highest authority in the Canadian Armed Forces.[11][12] The giving of faithfulness to the monarch in that way is a manifestation of a key responsibility central to the Canadian system of government[13] and serves to "remind individuals taking it of the serious obligations and responsibilities that he or she is assuming."[14]

 
Photo portrait of Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, at the front of a citizenship ceremony, wherein the Oath of Citizenship is recited, which includes the Oath of Allegiance

Former Premier of Ontario Mike Harris said in 1993, "the oath to the Queen is fundamental to the administration of the law in this country. It signifies that, here in Canada, justice is done—not in the name of the prime minister, or the mayor, or the police chief, as in totalitarian nations—but by the people, in the name of the Queen,"[15] while James Robertson stated that the oath was the way elected members of Parliament—who are assuming positions of public trust—promise to carry out their duties "patriotically and in the best interests of the country."[16] The Federal Court also expressed that giving allegiance to the sovereign was "a solemn intention to adhere to the symbolic keystone of the Canadian constitution, thus pledging an acceptance of the whole of our constitution and national life,"[17] though, also reflecting, "it may be argued that it strikes at the very heart of democracy to curtail collective opposition and incentive for change by demanding loyalty to a particular political theory."[18]

The relationship between the oath taker and the monarch is a complex one, with roots reaching back to historical periods when a monarch ruled and accepted an oath of fealty from his or her subjects. The modern oath remains both fiduciary and reciprocal;[13] mirroring citizens' oaths to the monarch,[19] the sovereign takes the Coronation Oath, wherein he or she promises "to govern the peoples of [...] Canada [...] according to their respective laws and customs."[20] It has been said of this mutual verbal contract, "except through the person of the Queen, Canada cannot take an oath to Canadians in return. It doesn't exist in the sense that it can take an oath. It is fundamental to our tradition of law and freedom that the commitments made by the people are reciprocated by the state. Reciprocal oaths are essential to our Canadian concept of government."[21] For members of the Canadian Armed Forces, the oath to the monarch is "the soldier's code of moral obligation."[22]

The oath sworn by lawyers in Alberta includes the phrasing, "I will uphold and maintain the sovereign’s interest and that of my fellow citizens, according to the law in force in Alberta."[23] The sovereign's interests entail a broad field of liberty for the monarch's subjects.[24][25]

Taking the oath edit

Those required to take the oath edit

The following persons must take the Oath of Allegiance before occupying a governmental, military, police, or judicial post. Generally, these individuals are appointed by the monarch or relevant viceroy, meaning they serve at His Majesty's pleasure and are charged with creating or administering the law.

Federal edit

Provincial edit

 
The swearing-in of Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Donald Ethell, in front of the Legislature Building in Edmonton, 11 May 2010

Territorial edit

Other edit

  • Board members of a regional district in British Columbia[63]
  • Lawyers in Ontario,[64] Nova Scotia,[65] New Brunswick,[66] and Yukon[67]
  • Police officers, special constables, and auxiliary constables in Ontario[68]
  • Mayors and councillors in British Columbia
  • School trustees in British Columbia[69]
  • Priests and deacons at ordination and Rectors at inductions or installations in certain dioceses of the Anglican Church of Canada.[70]

Those for whom the oath is optional edit

The Oath of Allegiance is optional for these individuals:

Provincial edit

  • Lawyers in Ontario[71]

Territorial edit

Those desiring to take the oath edit

Anyone who desires to swear or affirm allegiance to the King may, while in Canada, do so before a justice of the peace or anyone else authorized ex officio or by commission from the Crown, under the terms of the Oaths of Allegiance Act.[72]

Administration of the oath edit

 
Michaëlle Jean reciting the Oath of Allegiance as she is sworn in as the 27th Governor General of Canada, 27 September 2005

Crown appointees edit

The Letters Patent issued in 1947 by King George VI outline that the Oath of Allegiance must be taken by a newly appointed governor general and stipulate that the oath must be administered by the chief justice or other judge of the Supreme Court of Canada in the presence of members of the King's Privy Council.[26] In the 19th century, the oath was recited by recently commissioned federal viceroys at whatever port they arrived at in Canada. However, the contemporary practice is to swear-in governors general as part of a ceremony in the Senate chamber on Parliament Hill.[73]

New members of the King's Privy Council recite, along with the Oath of Office, a specific oath that contains a variant on the Oath of Allegiance,[27] as administered by the Clerk of the Privy Council,[74] usually in the presence of the governor general at Government House (Rideau Hall) in Ottawa. Twice, however, the oath has been delivered in front of the reigning monarch: In 1967, the year of Canada's centennial, the provincial premiers then in office were sworn in as members of the Privy Council before Elizabeth II in a ceremony on Parliament Hill and, during her tour of Canada to mark the 125th anniversary of Confederation, new appointees to the Privy Council recited the oath before the Queen at her Ottawa residence.[74] The chief justice of the Supreme Court similarly recites the Oath of Allegiance in front of the governor general.[75]

Parliamentarians edit

The clerk of the House, or an authorized designate, administers the Oath of Allegiance to both new and returning members of Parliament. Failure to take the oath constitutes an absolute bar on sitting or voting in Parliament, along with a denial of the associated salary; this does not mean the person ceases to be a member of the House; simply that they cannot sit or participate in it.[76] In 1875, George Turner Orton, member for Wellington Centre, inadvertently failed to swear the oath. Though Orton did eventually take his Oath of Allegiance, the matter was referred to the Select Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections, which found that the votes Orton cast in the House prior to his swearing the oath were rendered invalid.[77] The only way to change this stipulation would be to amend the constitution; though, it is not entirely clear whether or not this could be done under the general amending formula (through resolutions of the federal Parliament and of the parliaments of at least two-thirds of the provinces having at least 50% of the population), or if it would necessitate the undivided agreement of all the parliamentary houses across Canada, as is required for any constitutional alteration that affects the Crown.[78]

 
Then-leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Andrew Scheer, is sworn into the Queen's Privy Council by Clerk of the Privy Council Michael Wernick, in front of Governor General David Johnston, at Rideau Hall, 25 September 2017

A breach of the oath can also be seen as an act punishable by the denial of the offender's ability to sit in the House of Commons. Actions such as making treasonous comments in a time of war could be considered a break of the oath, as the oath to the monarch is considered an oath to the country.[79] But, expressing anti-Confederation sentiments is not, so long as the proponent continues to work for their cause within the laws and customs of Canada. Also, the King could remain head of any new state formed after secession from Canada.[80]

As early as 1867, this notion was tested: Joseph Howe was an opponent to Confederation; but, was elected to the House of Commons and took the Oath of Allegiance, after which he continued to work towards dissolving the union.[81] Later, in 1976, members of the sovereigntist Parti Québécois (PQ) were elected to the National Assembly of Quebec; according to press reports, some of those persons swore the oath with their fingers crossed and others later added flippant commentary to their oath,[82] such as, "et aussi au roi de France" ("and also to the king of France"), and, "Vive la république" ("live the republic!"), or whispered the words, "Sa Majesté la Reine Élisabeth II".[6] In 2003, Premier of Quebec Bernard Landry, leader of the PQ, added to the oath, "for the duration of the present constitutional order, which will hopefully change one day in a democratic fashion."[83] None of the actions had any effect on the enforcement of the oath itself, however.[84]

Canadian Armed Forces members edit

Allegiance and loyalty to the monarch, and the manner in which they are expressed, are specifically outlined in the Canadian Armed Forces regulations and subordinate orders. Within the King's Regulations and Orders for the Canadian Forces, it is stipulated that all Canadian citizens or British subjects who enroll in the forces must take the Oath of Allegiance before either a commissioned officer or a justice of the peace.

I, [name], do swear [or, for a solemn affirmation, solemnly affirm] that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles the Third, King of Canada, his heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.

Those who are not Canadian citizens or British subjects must recite a longer oath:[85]

I, [name], do solemnly swear [or affirm] that I will well and truly serve His Majesty, King Charles the Third, King of Canada, his heirs and successors according to law, in the Canadian Forces until lawfully released, that I will resist His Majesty's enemies and cause His Majesty's peace to be kept and maintained and that I will, in all matters pertaining to my service, faithfully discharge my duty. So help me God.

The words so help me God are omitted if a solemn affirmation is taken.

Opposition and augmentation edit

See also: Oath of Allegiance (New Zealand) § Alteration and augmentation of oaths

Federal edit

Amendments to the Oath of Allegiance have been proposed in the federal scope. The difficulty in altering the constitution led members of Parliament (MPs) in Ottawa to table various bills aiming to alter the Parliament of Canada Act, instead. While none were ever successful, certain MPs have recited further pledges in the presence of their constituents or added their own pledge after reciting the Oath of Allegiance.[86][87] In 2005, Senator Raymond Lavigne uttered the words, "and to my country, Canada," at the end of the Oath of Allegiance, which raised questions from other senators and Lavigne was instructed to take the oath again, without the amendment. Following this, the Senator proposed that the Senate rules be changed to add an oath to Canada after the oath to the sovereign, in the form of, "I, [name], do swear (or solemnly affirm) that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Canada." The motion never passed.[88]

All members of the federal Civil Service were previously required to take the Oath of Allegiance before being officially hired; a stipulation that prompted Pierre Vincent, a civil servant of Acadian descent who refused to swear the oath, to undertake a three-year legal challenge against the Public Service Commission. The latter found that Vincent could keep his job with the Civil Service and, while the Supreme Court did rule that civil servants continued to be employees of the monarch,[89] royal assent was granted to the Public Service Modernization Act in 2003, which removed the necessity of the bureaucratic civil servants to take the oath to their employer.

The inclusion of the Oath of Allegiance in the Oath of Citizenship has also met with opposition; though, this was never a constitutional matter,[5] instead falling within the scope of the Citizenship Act.

Alberta edit

Thirty two law professors in Alberta sent a letter to Minister of Justice Tyler Shandro, in July 2022, asking that the Executive Council table legislation in the legislature that proposes to remove the requirement that prospective lawyers recite the Oath of Allegiance before being admitted to the provincial the bar. This followed Prabjot Singh Wirring, an articling student in Edmonton, suing the province on the basis that swearing the oath would contradict his religious beliefs.[90] A similar claim against the Oath of Citizenship was made in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in 2007. In that case, the provision to take the oath was upheld. Alberta Crown attorneys have, in response to Wirring, argued the oath to the King is a commitment to the constitution of Canada, including its democratic principles, and is secular; Wirring has, they claimed, a "misunderstanding of the oath."[91]

Three Indigenous Canadian graduates of law schools in different provinces took legal action, on 7 September 2022, against the Alberta Crown and Law Society of Alberta seeking exemption from having to swear the Oath of Allegiance before being let into the Alberta bar. One of the women, Anita Cardinal, a member of the Woodland Cree First Nation, claimed the Canadian Crown does not have sovereignty over Indigenous peoples, contrary to multiple rulings by the Supreme Court of Canada.[95] Another in the party, Rachel Snow, of the Wesley First Nation, stated she would not recognize the authority of "the system [the legal order of the state as embodied in the monarch] that has caused generational and ongoing harms to her people";[96] though, Snow believes the oath is to the British Crown.[97]

New Brunswick edit

A loophole in provincial law was discovered by René Arseneault after he, in 1992, opposed taking the oath before being admitted to the bar. He argued successfully in court that the law did not permit the Court of Appeal to refuse his application to the Law Society until he recited the oath. Arseneault became the first member of the bar admitted without taking the oath.[98]

Ontario edit

Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament Dominic Agostino proposed in 1996 that the Legislative Assembly of Ontario follow that of Quebec and add another requisite oath of allegiance to "Canada", to be taken by MPPs following the oath to the sovereign. However, the Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly found that the monarch referred to in the Oath of Allegiance was already the personification of the Canadian state and it was thus redundant to offer allegiance to both the Queen and to Canada.[21]

A councillor in Prescott, Ontario, Lee McConnell, proposed in February 2023 that city council send a motion to the provincial Cabinet requesting that a bill be tabled in parliament to amend the Municipal Act so as to either remove or make optional the Oath of Allegiance required of all newly elected councillors. McConnell's motion suggested, instead, that municipal representatives swear an oath to "the country, province, and community". None of Prescott's other councillors seconded the motion, leading to its immediate failure.[99]

Quebec edit

Early opposition to the Oath of Allegiance was expressed by the inhabitants of the Province of Quebec shortly following the transfer of that territory from King Louis XV to King George III via the 1763 Treaty of Paris. The Quebec Act, issued in 1774, subsequently established a special Oath of Allegiance for the Roman Catholics of Quebec that, unlike the one sworn by others, which had remained the same since the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, bore no references to the Protestant faith. It read:

 
The Oath of allegiance signed by Pierre Beliveau, an Acadian, on 31 May 1768

I [name] do sincerely promise and swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King George and him will defend to the utmost of my power, against all traitorous conspiracies and attempts whatsoever, which shall be made against his person. Crown, and dignity; and I will do my utmost endeavor to disclose and make known to His Majesty, his heirs and successors, all treasons and traitorous conspiracies and attempts, which I shall know to be against him, or any of them; and all this I do swear without any equivocation, mental evasion, or secret reservation, and renouncing all pardons and dispensations from any power or person whomsoever to the contrary. So help me God.[100]

In 1970, the recently elected members of the sovereigntist Parti Québécois (PQ) refused to recite the Oath of Allegiance before taking their seats in the National Assembly of Quebec. At the time, all the other parties in the assembly agreed that the oath was outdated and needed to be amended.[101] The Act Respecting the National Assembly of Quebec was granted royal assent in 1982, in which a supplementary oath pledging loyalty to "the people of Quebec" was included,[102] though, it does not define what "the people of Quebec" means. The Members' Manual of the National Assembly outlines that this additional oath is to "the people" and constitution of Quebec, distinct from the Oath of Allegiance, which is an oath to the country via the then-Queen.[103] Still, some saw the monarch, in that context, as representative of the Quebec state and not of Canada, taking into account Canada's "divisible" Crown.[104]

The PQ and its leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, said after the general election in 2022 that they would not take the Oath of Allegiance upon attempting to take their seats in the National Assembly of Quebec,[105][106] arguing, "you can't serve two masters at the same time."[107] On 19 October 2022, the 11 Québec Solidaire MNAs announced they also did not wish to swear the Oath of Allegiance.[108][109] In response, the President of the National Assembly, François Paradis, asserted that the PQ and Québec Solidaire MNAs were required to recite the oath or risk expulsion from the legislature.[110] While QS members eventually did swear allegiance, on 1 December 2022, PQ MNAs continued to refuse and were stopped from entering the legislature.[111] The Executive Council, occupied by the Coalition Avenir Québec party, headed by François Legault, thereafter tabled a bill that purported to amend the constitution of Canada so as to add to Section 128 of the Constitution Act, 1867—the clause requiring the Oath of Allegiance for legislators—a statement that the section does not apply to Quebec.[114] That bill passed the assembly with unanimous consent on 6 December 2022.[115] It remains unclear if the law has any effect.[116][117]

Prince Edward Island edit

Since 2022, Samuel LeBlanc, lawyer of Acadian descent practising mainly in New Brunswick, has refused to swear the Oath of Allegiance required to become a member of the bar in Prince Edward Island, drawing a connection between the modern oath to the Canadian monarch and the involvement of an oath to the monarch of Great Britain in the Expulsion of the Acadians between 1755 and 1764. In June 2023, the Ministry of Justice stated possible amendments to the Law on Legal Professions are being evaluated.[98]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ The Constitution Act, 1867, has not been amended to reflect the changes both in the name of the United Kingdom and in the status of Canadian sovereignty from that country; see Monarchy of Canada § International and domestic aspects.

References edit

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External links edit

  • Oaths of Allegiance and the Canadian House of Commons
  • Oaths of Allegiance Act

November 23, 2023
oath, allegiance, canada, canadian, oath, allegiance, promise, declaration, fealty, canadian, monarch, personification, canadian, state, authority, rather, than, individual, person, taken, along, with, other, specific, oaths, office, occupants, various, federa. The Canadian Oath of Allegiance is a promise or declaration of fealty to the Canadian monarch as personification of the Canadian state and its authority rather than as an individual person taken along with other specific oaths of office by new occupants of various federal and provincial government offices members of federal provincial and municipal police forces members of the Canadian Armed Forces and in some provinces all lawyers upon admission to the bar The Oath of Allegiance also makes up the first portion of the Oath of Citizenship the taking of which is a requirement of obtaining Canadian nationality Peter MacKay left reciting the Oath of Allegiance as administered by Kevin G Lynch right Clerk of the Privy Council and in the presence of Governor General Michaelle Jean seated centre at Rideau Hall 14 August 2007The vow s roots lie in the oath taken in the United Kingdom the modern form of which was implemented in 1689 by King William II and III and Queen Mary II 1 and was used in Canada prior to Confederation The Canadian oath was established at that time in the British North America Act 1867 now Constitution Act 1867 meaning that alteration or elimination of the oath for parliamentarians requires a constitutional amendment The Oath of Allegiance has also been slightly altered and made or removed as a requirement for admission to other offices or positions through act of Parliament or letters patent to which proposals have been put forward for further abolishment or modification Contents 1 Composition 2 Purpose 3 Taking the oath 3 1 Those required to take the oath 3 1 1 Federal 3 1 2 Provincial 3 1 3 Territorial 3 1 4 Other 3 2 Those for whom the oath is optional 3 2 1 Provincial 3 2 2 Territorial 3 3 Those desiring to take the oath 4 Administration of the oath 4 1 Crown appointees 4 2 Parliamentarians 4 3 Canadian Armed Forces members 5 Opposition and augmentation 5 1 Federal 5 2 Alberta 5 3 New Brunswick 5 4 Ontario 5 5 Quebec 5 6 Prince Edward Island 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 External linksComposition editThe present form of the Oath of Allegiance which derives from that which was and still is taken by parliamentarians in the United Kingdom 2 is I name do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles the Third King of Canada his heirs and successors So help me God 3 A person may choose to replace the word swear with affirm and to omit the phrase so help me God The oath taker is also given the option of either swearing on a holy book or not The oath for senators and members of Parliament has stood the same since Confederation according to Section IX 128 of the Constitution Act 1867 Every member of the Senate and the House of Commons of Canada shall before taking his seat therein take and subscribe before the governor general or some person authorized by him and every member of a legislative council or legislative assembly of any province shall before the lieutenant governor of the province or some person authorized by him the Oath of Allegiance contained in the Fifth Schedule to the act 4 The oath set out in said schedule is I name do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Victoria with the further instruction that the name of the king or queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland for the time being is to be substituted from time to time with proper terms of reference thereto n 1 The oath thus currently reads as follows I name do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles III 5 In French this is Je nom jure que je serai fidele et porterai une vraie allegeance a Sa Majeste le Roi Charles III 6 For those parliamentarians whose religion prohibits the swearing of oaths there exists a compromise affirmation first instituted in 1905 I name do solemnly sincerely and truly affirm and declare the taking of an oath is according to my religious belief unlawful and I do also solemnly sincerely and truly affirm and declare that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles III 7 Purpose editThe Oath of Allegiance was implemented to acknowledge the supremacy of the reigning monarch of Canada 8 allegiance is to the natural person of the king or queen as the case may be 9 but it is to them as the personification of the Canadian state 10 Professor Yan Campagnolo stated an oath to the King is not an oath to the person who wears the Crown at a given time rather it is an oath to an institution that symbolizes our system of government a democratic constitutional monarchy An oath to the King is therefore an oath to our system of government and homeland not an oath to a foreign monarch 10 Along that line in the military context specifically the King is the highest authority in the Canadian Armed Forces 11 12 The giving of faithfulness to the monarch in that way is a manifestation of a key responsibility central to the Canadian system of government 13 and serves to remind individuals taking it of the serious obligations and responsibilities that he or she is assuming 14 nbsp Photo portrait of Elizabeth II Queen of Canada at the front of a citizenship ceremony wherein the Oath of Citizenship is recited which includes the Oath of AllegianceFormer Premier of Ontario Mike Harris said in 1993 the oath to the Queen is fundamental to the administration of the law in this country It signifies that here in Canada justice is done not in the name of the prime minister or the mayor or the police chief as in totalitarian nations but by the people in the name of the Queen 15 while James Robertson stated that the oath was the way elected members of Parliament who are assuming positions of public trust promise to carry out their duties patriotically and in the best interests of the country 16 The Federal Court also expressed that giving allegiance to the sovereign was a solemn intention to adhere to the symbolic keystone of the Canadian constitution thus pledging an acceptance of the whole of our constitution and national life 17 though also reflecting it may be argued that it strikes at the very heart of democracy to curtail collective opposition and incentive for change by demanding loyalty to a particular political theory 18 The relationship between the oath taker and the monarch is a complex one with roots reaching back to historical periods when a monarch ruled and accepted an oath of fealty from his or her subjects The modern oath remains both fiduciary and reciprocal 13 mirroring citizens oaths to the monarch 19 the sovereign takes the Coronation Oath wherein he or she promises to govern the peoples of Canada according to their respective laws and customs 20 It has been said of this mutual verbal contract except through the person of the Queen Canada cannot take an oath to Canadians in return It doesn t exist in the sense that it can take an oath It is fundamental to our tradition of law and freedom that the commitments made by the people are reciprocated by the state Reciprocal oaths are essential to our Canadian concept of government 21 For members of the Canadian Armed Forces the oath to the monarch is the soldier s code of moral obligation 22 The oath sworn by lawyers in Alberta includes the phrasing I will uphold and maintain the sovereign s interest and that of my fellow citizens according to the law in force in Alberta 23 The sovereign s interests entail a broad field of liberty for the monarch s subjects 24 25 Taking the oath editThose required to take the oath edit The following persons must take the Oath of Allegiance before occupying a governmental military police or judicial post Generally these individuals are appointed by the monarch or relevant viceroy meaning they serve at His Majesty s pleasure and are charged with creating or administering the law Federal edit Governors general of Canada 26 Members of the King s Privy Council for Canada 27 Senators 4 Members of Parliament 4 Clerk of the House of Commons 28 Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada Justices of the Federal Court of Appeal Justices of the Federal Court Justice of the Tax Court of Canada Citizenship judges All employees of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service 29 Recruits of the Canadian Armed Forces 30 Members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police 31 Officers of the Canada Border Services Agency Locally engaged staff at Canada s foreign missions who are Canadian citizens 32 Employees of Correctional Service CanadaProvincial edit nbsp The swearing in of Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Donald Ethell in front of the Legislature Building in Edmonton 11 May 2010Lieutenant governors 33 Members of a legislature MLAs MPPs MNAs and MHAs 4 Justices of the appellate courts superior courts and provincial courts Justices of the peace in British Columbia 34 Auditor general of Ontario 35 Staff of the civil service in Ontario 36 British Columbia 37 and Manitoba 38 All other Crown appointees in Ontario 39 All police officers railway constables special constables and reserve and auxiliary constables in British Columbia 40 41 All police officers bylaw enforcement officers and special constables in Nova Scotia 42 Community peace officers in Alberta 43 All police officers in Saskatchewan 44 New Brunswick 45 and Alberta 46 Mayors and councillors in Nova Scotia 47 and all counsillors in Ontario 48 Medical examiners and investigators in Manitoba 49 Sheriffs in Newfoundland and Labrador 50 Lawyers in Alberta 51 Newfoundland and Labrador 52 Manitoba and Prince Edward Island 53 Notaries public in Newfoundland and Labrador 54 Territorial edit Commissioners and deputy commissioners of Yukon Northwest Territories and Nunavut 55 56 57 Members of the Executive Council of Nunavut 58 Members of the Legislative Assemblies of Nunavut 58 and Yukon 59 Mayors municipal councilors and alderman of Yukon 60 Coroners of Yukon 61 Lawyers in Northwest Territories and Nunavut 62 Other edit Board members of a regional district in British Columbia 63 Lawyers in Ontario 64 Nova Scotia 65 New Brunswick 66 and Yukon 67 Police officers special constables and auxiliary constables in Ontario 68 Mayors and councillors in British Columbia School trustees in British Columbia 69 Priests and deacons at ordination and Rectors at inductions or installations in certain dioceses of the Anglican Church of Canada 70 Those for whom the oath is optional edit The Oath of Allegiance is optional for these individuals Provincial edit Lawyers in Ontario 71 Territorial edit Lawyers in Yukon 71 Those desiring to take the oath edit Anyone who desires to swear or affirm allegiance to the King may while in Canada do so before a justice of the peace or anyone else authorized ex officio or by commission from the Crown under the terms of the Oaths of Allegiance Act 72 Administration of the oath edit nbsp Michaelle Jean reciting the Oath of Allegiance as she is sworn in as the 27th Governor General of Canada 27 September 2005Crown appointees edit The Letters Patent issued in 1947 by King George VI outline that the Oath of Allegiance must be taken by a newly appointed governor general and stipulate that the oath must be administered by the chief justice or other judge of the Supreme Court of Canada in the presence of members of the King s Privy Council 26 In the 19th century the oath was recited by recently commissioned federal viceroys at whatever port they arrived at in Canada However the contemporary practice is to swear in governors general as part of a ceremony in the Senate chamber on Parliament Hill 73 New members of the King s Privy Council recite along with the Oath of Office a specific oath that contains a variant on the Oath of Allegiance 27 as administered by the Clerk of the Privy Council 74 usually in the presence of the governor general at Government House Rideau Hall in Ottawa Twice however the oath has been delivered in front of the reigning monarch In 1967 the year of Canada s centennial the provincial premiers then in office were sworn in as members of the Privy Council before Elizabeth II in a ceremony on Parliament Hill and during her tour of Canada to mark the 125th anniversary of Confederation new appointees to the Privy Council recited the oath before the Queen at her Ottawa residence 74 The chief justice of the Supreme Court similarly recites the Oath of Allegiance in front of the governor general 75 Parliamentarians edit The clerk of the House or an authorized designate administers the Oath of Allegiance to both new and returning members of Parliament Failure to take the oath constitutes an absolute bar on sitting or voting in Parliament along with a denial of the associated salary this does not mean the person ceases to be a member of the House simply that they cannot sit or participate in it 76 In 1875 George Turner Orton member for Wellington Centre inadvertently failed to swear the oath Though Orton did eventually take his Oath of Allegiance the matter was referred to the Select Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections which found that the votes Orton cast in the House prior to his swearing the oath were rendered invalid 77 The only way to change this stipulation would be to amend the constitution though it is not entirely clear whether or not this could be done under the general amending formula through resolutions of the federal Parliament and of the parliaments of at least two thirds of the provinces having at least 50 of the population or if it would necessitate the undivided agreement of all the parliamentary houses across Canada as is required for any constitutional alteration that affects the Crown 78 nbsp Then leader of the Conservative Party of Canada Andrew Scheer is sworn into the Queen s Privy Council by Clerk of the Privy Council Michael Wernick in front of Governor General David Johnston at Rideau Hall 25 September 2017A breach of the oath can also be seen as an act punishable by the denial of the offender s ability to sit in the House of Commons Actions such as making treasonous comments in a time of war could be considered a break of the oath as the oath to the monarch is considered an oath to the country 79 But expressing anti Confederation sentiments is not so long as the proponent continues to work for their cause within the laws and customs of Canada Also the King could remain head of any new state formed after secession from Canada 80 As early as 1867 this notion was tested Joseph Howe was an opponent to Confederation but was elected to the House of Commons and took the Oath of Allegiance after which he continued to work towards dissolving the union 81 Later in 1976 members of the sovereigntist Parti Quebecois PQ were elected to the National Assembly of Quebec according to press reports some of those persons swore the oath with their fingers crossed and others later added flippant commentary to their oath 82 such as et aussi au roi de France and also to the king of France and Vive la republique live the republic or whispered the words Sa Majeste la Reine Elisabeth II 6 In 2003 Premier of Quebec Bernard Landry leader of the PQ added to the oath for the duration of the present constitutional order which will hopefully change one day in a democratic fashion 83 None of the actions had any effect on the enforcement of the oath itself however 84 Canadian Armed Forces members edit Allegiance and loyalty to the monarch and the manner in which they are expressed are specifically outlined in the Canadian Armed Forces regulations and subordinate orders Within the King s Regulations and Orders for the Canadian Forces it is stipulated that all Canadian citizens or British subjects who enroll in the forces must take the Oath of Allegiance before either a commissioned officer or a justice of the peace I name do swear or for a solemn affirmation solemnly affirm that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles the Third King of Canada his heirs and successors according to law So help me God Those who are not Canadian citizens or British subjects must recite a longer oath 85 I name do solemnly swear or affirm that I will well and truly serve His Majesty King Charles the Third King of Canada his heirs and successors according to law in the Canadian Forces until lawfully released that I will resist His Majesty s enemies and cause His Majesty s peace to be kept and maintained and that I will in all matters pertaining to my service faithfully discharge my duty So help me God The words so help me God are omitted if a solemn affirmation is taken Opposition and augmentation editSee also Oath of Allegiance New Zealand Alteration and augmentation of oaths Federal edit Amendments to the Oath of Allegiance have been proposed in the federal scope The difficulty in altering the constitution led members of Parliament MPs in Ottawa to table various bills aiming to alter the Parliament of Canada Act instead While none were ever successful certain MPs have recited further pledges in the presence of their constituents or added their own pledge after reciting the Oath of Allegiance 86 87 In 2005 Senator Raymond Lavigne uttered the words and to my country Canada at the end of the Oath of Allegiance which raised questions from other senators and Lavigne was instructed to take the oath again without the amendment Following this the Senator proposed that the Senate rules be changed to add an oath to Canada after the oath to the sovereign in the form of I name do swear or solemnly affirm that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Canada The motion never passed 88 All members of the federal Civil Service were previously required to take the Oath of Allegiance before being officially hired a stipulation that prompted Pierre Vincent a civil servant of Acadian descent who refused to swear the oath to undertake a three year legal challenge against the Public Service Commission The latter found that Vincent could keep his job with the Civil Service and while the Supreme Court did rule that civil servants continued to be employees of the monarch 89 royal assent was granted to the Public Service Modernization Act in 2003 which removed the necessity of the bureaucratic civil servants to take the oath to their employer The inclusion of the Oath of Allegiance in the Oath of Citizenship has also met with opposition though this was never a constitutional matter 5 instead falling within the scope of the Citizenship Act Alberta edit Thirty two law professors in Alberta sent a letter to Minister of Justice Tyler Shandro in July 2022 asking that the Executive Council table legislation in the legislature that proposes to remove the requirement that prospective lawyers recite the Oath of Allegiance before being admitted to the provincial the bar This followed Prabjot Singh Wirring an articling student in Edmonton suing the province on the basis that swearing the oath would contradict his religious beliefs 90 A similar claim against the Oath of Citizenship was made in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in 2007 In that case the provision to take the oath was upheld Alberta Crown attorneys have in response to Wirring argued the oath to the King is a commitment to the constitution of Canada including its democratic principles and is secular Wirring has they claimed a misunderstanding of the oath 91 Three Indigenous Canadian graduates of law schools in different provinces took legal action on 7 September 2022 against the Alberta Crown and Law Society of Alberta seeking exemption from having to swear the Oath of Allegiance before being let into the Alberta bar One of the women Anita Cardinal a member of the Woodland Cree First Nation claimed the Canadian Crown does not have sovereignty over Indigenous peoples contrary to multiple rulings by the Supreme Court of Canada 95 Another in the party Rachel Snow of the Wesley First Nation stated she would not recognize the authority of the system the legal order of the state as embodied in the monarch that has caused generational and ongoing harms to her people 96 though Snow believes the oath is to the British Crown 97 New Brunswick edit A loophole in provincial law was discovered by Rene Arseneault after he in 1992 opposed taking the oath before being admitted to the bar He argued successfully in court that the law did not permit the Court of Appeal to refuse his application to the Law Society until he recited the oath Arseneault became the first member of the bar admitted without taking the oath 98 Ontario edit Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament Dominic Agostino proposed in 1996 that the Legislative Assembly of Ontario follow that of Quebec and add another requisite oath of allegiance to Canada to be taken by MPPs following the oath to the sovereign However the Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly found that the monarch referred to in the Oath of Allegiance was already the personification of the Canadian state and it was thus redundant to offer allegiance to both the Queen and to Canada 21 A councillor in Prescott Ontario Lee McConnell proposed in February 2023 that city council send a motion to the provincial Cabinet requesting that a bill be tabled in parliament to amend the Municipal Act so as to either remove or make optional the Oath of Allegiance required of all newly elected councillors McConnell s motion suggested instead that municipal representatives swear an oath to the country province and community None of Prescott s other councillors seconded the motion leading to its immediate failure 99 Quebec edit Early opposition to the Oath of Allegiance was expressed by the inhabitants of the Province of Quebec shortly following the transfer of that territory from King Louis XV to King George III via the 1763 Treaty of Paris The Quebec Act issued in 1774 subsequently established a special Oath of Allegiance for the Roman Catholics of Quebec that unlike the one sworn by others which had remained the same since the reign of Queen Elizabeth I bore no references to the Protestant faith It read nbsp The Oath of allegiance signed by Pierre Beliveau an Acadian on 31 May 1768I name do sincerely promise and swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King George and him will defend to the utmost of my power against all traitorous conspiracies and attempts whatsoever which shall be made against his person Crown and dignity and I will do my utmost endeavor to disclose and make known to His Majesty his heirs and successors all treasons and traitorous conspiracies and attempts which I shall know to be against him or any of them and all this I do swear without any equivocation mental evasion or secret reservation and renouncing all pardons and dispensations from any power or person whomsoever to the contrary So help me God 100 In 1970 the recently elected members of the sovereigntist Parti Quebecois PQ refused to recite the Oath of Allegiance before taking their seats in the National Assembly of Quebec At the time all the other parties in the assembly agreed that the oath was outdated and needed to be amended 101 The Act Respecting the National Assembly of Quebec was granted royal assent in 1982 in which a supplementary oath pledging loyalty to the people of Quebec was included 102 though it does not define what the people of Quebec means The Members Manual of the National Assembly outlines that this additional oath is to the people and constitution of Quebec distinct from the Oath of Allegiance which is an oath to the country via the then Queen 103 Still some saw the monarch in that context as representative of the Quebec state and not of Canada taking into account Canada s divisible Crown 104 The PQ and its leader Paul St Pierre Plamondon said after the general election in 2022 that they would not take the Oath of Allegiance upon attempting to take their seats in the National Assembly of Quebec 105 106 arguing you can t serve two masters at the same time 107 On 19 October 2022 the 11 Quebec Solidaire MNAs announced they also did not wish to swear the Oath of Allegiance 108 109 In response the President of the National Assembly Francois Paradis asserted that the PQ and Quebec Solidaire MNAs were required to recite the oath or risk expulsion from the legislature 110 While QS members eventually did swear allegiance on 1 December 2022 PQ MNAs continued to refuse and were stopped from entering the legislature 111 The Executive Council occupied by the Coalition Avenir Quebec party headed by Francois Legault thereafter tabled a bill that purported to amend the constitution of Canada so as to add to Section 128 of the Constitution Act 1867 the clause requiring the Oath of Allegiance for legislators a statement that the section does not apply to Quebec 114 That bill passed the assembly with unanimous consent on 6 December 2022 115 It remains unclear if the law has any effect 116 117 Prince Edward Island edit Since 2022 Samuel LeBlanc lawyer of Acadian descent practising mainly in New Brunswick has refused to swear the Oath of Allegiance required to become a member of the bar in Prince Edward Island drawing a connection between the modern oath to the Canadian monarch and the involvement of an oath to the monarch of Great Britain in the Expulsion of the Acadians between 1755 and 1764 In June 2023 the Ministry of Justice stated possible amendments to the Law on Legal Professions are being evaluated 98 See also editOath of allegiance Oath of office Oath of citizenshipNotes edit The Constitution Act 1867 has not been amended to reflect the changes both in the name of the United Kingdom and in the status of Canadian sovereignty from that country see Monarchy of Canada International and domestic aspects References edit Walker Aileen Wood Edward 14 February 2000 The Parliamentary Oath PDF Research Paper 00 17 Westminster House of Commons Library p 17 Archived from the original PDF on December 19 2008 Retrieved 6 January 2009 Bedard Michel Robertson James R October 2008 Oaths of Allegiance and the Canadian House of Commons Ottawa Library of Parliament p 2 30 amp 31 Victoria c 3 U K Retrieved 5 January 2009 Elizabeth II 1985 Oaths of Allegiance Act 2 Ottawa Queen s Printer for Canada R S 1985 c O 1 Retrieved 5 January 2009 a b c d Victoria 1 July 1867 Constitution Act 1867 IX 128 Westminster Parliament of the United Kingdom Retrieved 1 April 2009 a b Victoria 1867 Fifth Schedule a b le Clere Rene Summer 2003 Serment d allegeance a la Reine denature par des deputes souverainistes du Quebec PDF Canadian Monarchist News Toronto Monarchist League of Canada 7 4 Archived from the original PDF on 8 July 2009 Retrieved 13 January 2009 Marleau Robert Montpetit Camille 2000 House of Commons Procedure and Practice Ottawa Queen s Printer for Canada p 176 Forsey Eugene 2005 How Canadians Govern Themselves 5 ed Ottawa Queen s Printer for Canada ISBN 978 0 660 16872 2 7 Co Rep 10 b a b c Campagnolo Yan 19 October 2022 Why Quebec politicians must swear an oath to the King even if they don t want to The Conversation Academic Journalism Society Retrieved 21 March 2023 Department of National Defence 1 April 1998 Canada s Army We Stand on Guard for Thee PDF B GL 300 000 FP 000 Ottawa Queen s Printer for Canada p 31 Archived from the original PDF on 6 July 2011 Retrieved 4 January 2009 Dickenson Ron A Joyce C Tony May 2002 Written at Canadian Forces Leadership Institute The Military as a Profession An Examination PDF Ottawa Queen s Printer for Canada p 20 Archived from the original PDF on 11 December 2005 Retrieved 5 January 2009 a b Aagaard Lindsay 2008 Fiduciary Duty and Members of Parliament Canadian Parliamentary Review Ottawa Commonwealth Parliamentary Association 31 2 Retrieved 10 February 2009 Bedard 2008 p 16harvnb error no target CITEREFBedard2008 help Monarchist League of Canada An Archive of Quotations from The Queen and prominent Canadians about The Crown and Canada Monarchist League of Canada Archived from the original on December 6 2008 Retrieved 5 January 2009 Robertson James 2005 Oath of Allegiance and the Canadian House of Commons Ottawa Library of Parliament pp 16 17 Charles C Roach v The Minister of State for Multiculturalism and Citizenship A 249 92 Case dismissed Linden Federal Court of Canada 20 January 1994 Roach v The Minister of State for Multiculturalism and Citizenship 1994 Freedom of associationharvnb error no target CITEREFRoach v The Minister of State for Multiculturalism and Citizenship1994 help Bousfield Arthur Toffoli Gary 2002 Fifty Years the Queen Toronto Dundurn Press p 78 ISBN 1 55002 360 8 Kershaw Simon 2002 The Form and Order of Service that is to be performed and the Ceremonies that are to be observed in The Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the Abbey Church of St Peter Westminster on Tuesday the second day of June 1953 gt IV The Oath Simon Kershaw Retrieved 5 January 2009 a b Hansard 10 April 1996 Committee Transcripts Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly Bill 22 Legislative Assembly Oath of Allegiance Act 1995 Toronto Queen s Printer for Ontario Retrieved 5 January 2009 Department of National Defence 1997 Report of the Somalia Commission of Inquiry gt Ethics in the Canadian Military Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada Archived from the original on 2 October 2007 Retrieved 5 January 2009 Stevens Laura K MacLeod Donald An Ethics Primer for Criminal Lawyers PDF Edmonton Legal Education Society of Alberta p 1 retrieved 21 March 2023 Adhar Rex J Research Handbook on Law and Religion Colunms Design retrieved 21 March 2023 Shapiro Ian 1986 The Evolution of Rights in Liberal Theory Cambridge Cambridge University Press pp 29 40 a b George VI 1 October 1947 Letters Patent Constituting the Office of Governor General of Canada X Ottawa King s Printer for Canada Archived from the original on 24 September 2015 Retrieved 5 January 2009 a b Office of the Governor General of Canada 2 March 2006 Oaths of Office Queen s Printer for Canada Archived from the original on 15 November 2008 Retrieved 5 January 2009 Parliament of Canada Act Department of Justice 28 March 2014 Retrieved 7 April 2014 Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act Department of Justice 28 March 2014 Retrieved 7 April 2014 Governor General s Foot Guards Join the Guards Governor General s Foot Guards Archived from the original on 16 January 2009 Retrieved 5 January 2009 Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act Department of Justice 28 March 2014 Retrieved 7 April 2014 Locally Engaged Staff Employment Regulations SOR 95 152 Department of Justice 28 March 2014 Retrieved 7 April 2014 Victoria 1867 V 61 Provincial Court Act Queen s Printer BC 8 February 2017 Retrieved 26 February 2017 Elizabeth II 1 June 2011 Auditor General Act Toronto Queen s Printer for Ontario R S O 1990 CHAPTER A 35 Retrieved 8 April 2014 Elizabeth II 1990 Public Service Act 10 Toronto Queen s Printer for Ontario R S O 1990 c P 47 Retrieved 5 January 2009 Agency BC Public Service Oath of Employment Province of British Columbia www2 gov bc ca Retrieved 2018 04 06 The Civil Service Act Province of Manitoba 30 June 2004 Retrieved 8 April 2014 Elizabeth II 22 June 2006 Public Officers Act Toronto Queen s Printer for Ontario R S O 1990 CHAPTER P 45 Retrieved 9 December 2009 Police Oath Solemn Affirmation Regulation Queen s Printer BC 7 June 2002 Retrieved 7 April 2014 Railway Act Queen s Printer BC 19 March 2014 Retrieved 8 April 2014 Police Regulations Department of Justice 18 October 2013 Retrieved 7 April 2014 Forms All Documents www solgps alberta ca Retrieved 2016 12 15 The Municipal Police Recruiting Regulations 1991 PDF Saskatchewan Queen s Printer 1995 Retrieved 8 April 2014 Forms of Oath Regulation Ministry of the Attorney General 25 March 2014 Retrieved 7 April 2014 Police Act PDF Schedule 1 Queen s Printer Alberta 28 March 2014 Retrieved 7 April 2014 Municipal Elections Act Office of the Legislative Counsel 8 February 2012 Retrieved 8 April 2014 Elizabeth II 232 Municipal Act King s Printer for Ontario retrieved 6 August 2023 The Fatality Inquiries Act Province of Manitoba 5 December 2013 Retrieved 8 April 2014 SHERIFF S ACT 1991 Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly 2011 Retrieved 7 April 2014 Legal Profession Act R S A 2000 c L 8 s 44 2 Barristers Roll Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador 7 April 2014 Retrieved 7 April 2014 Admission as a Member of the Law Society Law Society of Prince Edward Island Archived from the original on 4 October 2011 Retrieved 28 July 2011 NOTARIES PUBLIC ACT Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly 2010 Retrieved 7 April 2014 Yukon Act Department of Justice 28 March 2013 Retrieved 8 April 2014 Northwest Territories Act Department of Justice 28 March 2013 Retrieved 8 April 2014 Nunavut Act Department of Justice 28 March 2013 Retrieved 8 April 2014 a b Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act CanLii 1 October 2013 Retrieved 7 April 2014 Legislative Assembly Act PDF Queen s Printer Yukon 2008 Retrieved 7 April 2014 Forms oaths Regulation C O 1973 398 PDF Queen s Printer Yukon 17 September 1973 Retrieved 7 April 2014 Coroners Act PDF Queen s Printer Yukon 2002 Retrieved 7 April 2014 Legal Profession Act CanLii 8 June 2012 Retrieved 7 April 2014 Local Government Act Queen s Printer BC 19 March 2014 Retrieved 8 April 2014 By Law 4 Law Society of Upper Canada 25 October 2012 s 22 Retrieved 7 April 2014 Bar Admission ceremonies Nova Scotia Barristers Society 7 April 2014 Retrieved 7 April 2014 Admission to the Law Society Law Society of New Brunswick n d Retrieved 7 April 2014 Legal Profession Act PDF Queen s Printer Yukon 2012 Retrieved 7 April 2014 ONTARIO REGULATION 268 10 Ministry of the Attorney General 17 July 2010 Retrieved 7 April 2014 School Act Queen s Printer BC 19 March 2014 Retrieved 8 April 2014 Canon 7 5 3 The Anglican Diocese of Fredericton a b Lund Anna 8 March 2023 Alberta s mandatory oath of allegiance is systemic discrimination CRA ABC National The Canadian Bar Association retrieved 21 March 2023 Oaths of Allegiance Act R S C 1985 c O 1 https laws lois justice gc ca eng acts O 1 page 1 html Newfoundland School for the Deaf Role and Responsibilities of the Governor General Newfoundland School for the Deaf Archived from the original on 7 December 2008 Retrieved 5 January 2009 a b Office of the Governor General of Canada 2 February 2006 The Swearing In of Privy Councillors Queen s Printer for Canada Archived from the original on 15 November 2008 Retrieved 5 January 2009 Royal Household at Buckingham Palace The Monarchy Today gt Queen and Commonwealth gt Canada gt The Queen s Role in Canada Her Majesty the Queen Retrieved 5 January 2009 Fraser Alistair Dawson W F Holtby John A 1989 Beauchesne s Rules amp Forms of the House of Commons of Canada Sixth ed Toronto The Carswell Company Limited p 68 House of Commons 1875 Journals Ottawa Queen s Printer for Canada p 176 Bedard 2008 p 17harvnb error no target CITEREFBedard2008 help Beauchesne Arthur 1958 Rules amp Forms of the House of Commons of Canada Fourth ed Toronto The Carswell Company Limited p 14 Bedard 2008 p 7harvnb error no target CITEREFBedard2008 help Pryke Kenneth George 1962 Nova Scotia and Confederation 1864 1870 PhD thesis Durham Duke University p 147 Lynch Charles 29 July 1990 Bloc Quebecois Members Make Oaths of Office Seem Ridiculous The Ottawa Citizen Coates Colin MacMillan 2006 Majesty in Canada essays on the role of royalty Toronto Dundurn Press Ltd p 12 ISBN 978 1 55002 586 6 Bedard 2008 p 10harvnb error no target CITEREFBedard2008 help Department of National Defence 14 July 2008 Queen s Regulations and Orders PDF 6 04 Ottawa Queen s Printer for Canada Archived from the original PDF on 6 July 2011 Retrieved 7 January 2009 Hansard 14 March 1994 House of Commons Debates 1140 Ottawa Queen s Printer for Canada Ted White MP Hansard 5 May 2003 House of Commons Debates 1730 Ottawa Queen s Printer for Canada Eugene Bellemare MP Hansard 16 April 2002 Senate Debates 1520 Question Period Ottawa Queen s Printer for Canada Smith David E 1995 The Invisible Crown Toronto University of Toronto Press p 79 ISBN 0 8020 0743 0 Szulc Katarina 14 July 2022 32 Alberta law professors sign letter calling for government to make oath to Queen optional CBC News retrieved 21 March 2023 Smith Alanna 7 February 2023 Alberta faces pressure to drop requirement that lawyers swear oath to king The Globe and Mail retrieved 21 March 2023 Haida Nation v British Columbia Minister of Forests 3 Haida Nation 73 Supreme Court of Canada 2004 511 Taku River Tlingit First Nation v British Columbia Project Assessment Director 3 Taku River 74 Supreme Court of Canada 2004 550 Mikasew Cree First Nation v Canada Minister of Canadian Heritage 3 69 Supreme Court of Canada 2005 388 92 93 94 Shari Narine 20 October 2022 First Nations lawyers law student fight against swearing allegiance to oppressors WindSpeaker retrieved 21 March 2023 de Castillo Carolyn Kury 6 May 2023 Alberta lawyer requirement to swear oath to king being challenged in court Global News retrieved 11 August 2023 a b Drummond Gabrielle 15 June 2023 Un avocat acadien conteste l obligation de preter serment d allegeance au roi Radio Canada retrieved 11 August 2023 Zajac Ronald 27 February 2023 Motion to remove oath of allegiance to King fails Recorder amp Times retrieved 6 August 2023 George III 1774 Quebec Act VII Westminster King s Printer 14 George III c 83 U K Retrieved 5 February 2010 Rene Levesque s Separatist Fight gt Rene The Queen and the FLQ gt Did you know Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Retrieved 5 January 2009 Elizabeth II 1982 An Act Respecting the National Assembly of Quebec Schedule I 15 Quebec Editeur officiel du Quebec R S Q chapter A 23 1 Retrieved 5 January 2009 National Assembly of Quebec 1986 Manuel des membres de l Assemblee nationale 2 1 Quebec Editeur officiel du Quebec p 2 Bedard 2008 p 9harvnb error no target CITEREFBedard2008 help Parti Quebecois leader insists he won t swear oath to King before taking office Global News Parti Quebecois leader wants to sit in National Assembly without swearing oath to King CBC News 11 October 2022 archived from the original on 28 October 2022 Can t serve two masters Parti Quebecois leader refuses to swear oath to King Global News Quebec Solidaire MNAs skip oath to King when sworn in PQ to follow suit CBC News 19 October 2022 Retrieved 22 November 2022 Quebec solidaire MNAs shun oath of allegiance to King Charles III Montreal Gazette Quebec politicians must swear oath to King Charles to sit in legislature Speaker Global News Parti Quebecois barred from sitting in legislature for refusing oath to King Global News Huges Patricia 14 December 2022 Challenging the Constitutional Order Where Does the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act Fit In Slaw retrieved 21 March 2023 CAQ bill would make oath to King optional for Quebec MNAs Montreal Gazette 10 112 113 Quebec adopts law making oath to King optional for elected members CTV News 9 December 2022 Hopper Tristan 9 December 2022 First Reading Quebec is trying to unilaterally rewrite the Constitution again National Post retrieved 22 January 2023 Montpetit Jonathan 19 May 2021 Quebec s proposed changes to Constitution seem small but they could prompt historic makeover CBC News retrieved 22 January 2023External links editGovernor General s Media Fact Sheet The Oath Oaths of Allegiance and the Canadian House of Commons Oaths of Allegiance Act Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Oath of Allegiance Canada amp oldid 1181954808, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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