Editing Oath of Allegiance (Canada)

{{Short description|Promise of fealty to the Canadian monarch}}
[[File:MacKay-Oath.jpg|thumb|right|[[Peter MacKay]] (left) reciting the Oath of Allegiance, as administered by [[Kevin G. Lynch]] (right), [[Clerk of the Privy Council (Canada)|Clerk of the Privy Council]], and in the presence of [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]] [[Michaëlle Jean]] (seated, centre), at [[Rideau Hall]], 14 August 2007]]

The '''Canadian Oath of Allegiance''' is a promise or declaration of [[fealty]] to the [[Monarchy of Canada|Canadian monarch]]—as personification of the Canadian state and its authority, rather than as an individual person—taken, along with other specific [[Oath of office|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 (Canada)|Oath of Citizenship]], the taking of which is a requirement of obtaining Canadian nationality.

The vow's roots lie in the [[Oath of Allegiance (United Kingdom)|oath taken in the United Kingdom]], the modern form of which was implemented in 1689 by [[William III of England|King William II and III]] and [[Mary II of England|Queen Mary II]]<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Walker| first1=Aileen| last2=Wood| first2=Edward| date=14 February 2000| title=The Parliamentary Oath| series=Research Paper 00/17| location=Westminster| publisher=House of Commons Library| page=17| url=http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2000/rp00-017.pdf| access-date=6 January 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219172416/http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2000/rp00-017.pdf| archive-date=December 19, 2008}}</ref> and was used in Canada prior to [[Canadian Confederation|Confederation]]. The Canadian oath was established at that time in the ''[[Constitution Act, 1867|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==
The present form of the Oath of Allegiance, which derives from that which was, and still is, taken by parliamentarians in the [[Oath of Allegiance (United Kingdom)|United Kingdom]],<ref>{{Cite web| last1=Bédard| first1=Michel| last2=Robertson| first2=James R.| date=October 2008| title=Oaths of Allegiance and the Canadian House of Commons| location=Ottawa| publisher=Library of Parliament| page=2| id=30 & 31 Victoria, c. 3. (U.K.)| url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/bp241-e.htm|  access-date=5 January 2009}}</ref> is:

<div style="border-radius-topright:0px;border-radius-bottomleft:0px; padding: 1px; text-align:left; margin:auto; border:1px solid #7BA05B; color:black; width:90%;">{{quote|''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.''<ref>{{Cite web| last=Elizabeth II| author-link=Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom| date=1985| title=Oaths of Allegiance Act| series=2| location=Ottawa| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| id=R.S., 1985, c. O-1| url=http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/laws/stat/rsc-1985-c-o-1/latest/rsc-1985-c-o-1.html| access-date=5 January 2009}}</ref>}}</div>

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 [[Canadian Confederation|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."<ref name=S128>{{Cite web| last=Victoria| title=Constitution Act, 1867| date=1 July 1867| url=https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/Const/page-4.html#h-28| series=IX.128| location=Westminster| publisher=Parliament of the United Kingdom| accessdate=1 April 2009| author-link=Queen Victoria}}</ref> 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."{{#tag:ref|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|Monarchy of Canada § International and domestic aspects]].|group=n|name=BNA}} The oath thus currently reads as follows:

<div style="border-radius-topright:0px;border-radius-bottomleft:0px; padding: 1px; text-align:left; margin:auto; border:1px solid #7BA05B; color:black; width:90%;">{{quote|''I, [name], do swear, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles III.''<ref name="SV">{{Harvnb| Victoria| 1867| loc=Fifth Schedule}}</ref>}}</div>

In [[French language|French]], this is:

<div style="border-radius-topright:0px;border-radius-bottomleft:0px; padding: 1px; text-align:left; margin:auto; border:1px solid #7BA05B; color:black; width:90%;">{{quote|{{lang|fr|Je, [nom], jure que je serai fidèle et porterai une vraie allégeance à Sa Majesté le Roi Charles III.}}<ref name="MLC">{{Cite journal| last=le Clère| first=René| title=Serment d'allégeance à la Reine dénaturé par des députés souverainistes du Québec!| journal=Canadian Monarchist News| volume=7| issue=4| publisher=Monarchist League of Canada| location=Toronto| date=Summer 2003| url=http://www.monarchist.ca/cmn/2003/CMN_summer_2003_Update-6.pdf| access-date=13 January 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20090708014149/http://www.monarchist.ca/cmn/2003/CMN_summer_2003_Update%2D6.pdf| archive-date=8 July 2009}}</ref>}}</div>

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

<div style="border-radius-topright:0px;border-radius-bottomleft:0px; padding: 1px; text-align:left; margin:auto; border:1px solid #7BA05B; color:black; width:90%;">{{quote|''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.''<ref>{{Cite book| last1=Marleau| first1=Robert| last2=Montpetit| first2=Camille| date=2000| title=House of Commons Procedure and Practice| location=Ottawa| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| page=176}}</ref>}}</div>

==Purpose==
The Oath of Allegiance was implemented to acknowledge the supremacy of the reigning [[Monarchy of Canada|monarch of Canada]];<ref>{{Cite book| last=Forsey| first=Eugene| author-link=Eugene Forsey| title=How Canadians Govern Themselves| place=Ottawa| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| year=2005| edition=5| isbn=978-0-660-16872-2}}</ref> allegiance is to the "natural person of the king [or queen, as the case may be]",<ref>7 Co. Rep. 10 b.</ref> but, it is to them as the personification of the Canadian state.<ref name=Campagnolo>{{Cite journal | url=https://theconversation.com/why-quebec-politicians-must-swear-an-oath-to-the-king-even-if-they-dont-want-to-192807| last=Campagnolo| first=Yan| title=Why Québec politicians must swear an oath to the King—even if they don't want to| date=19 October 2022| journal=The Conversation| publisher=Academic Journalism Society| accessdate=21 March 2023}}</ref><ref name=Tasker>{{citation| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/oath-of-allegiance-king-charles-optional-1.7063273| last=Tasker| first=John Paul| title=Politicians' oath of allegiance to King Charles could be history if Liberal MP gets his way| date=3 January 2024| publisher=CBC News| accessdate=13 March 2024}}</ref> 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."<ref name=Campagnolo/> Along that line, in the military context, specifically, the King is [[Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces|the highest authority]] in the [[Canadian Armed Forces]].<ref>{{Cite web| last=Department of National Defence| author-link=Department of National Defence (Canada)| date=1 April 1998| title=Canada's Army: We Stand on Guard for Thee| series=B-GL-300-000/FP-000| location=Ottawa| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| page=31| url=http://armyapp.forces.gc.ca/ael/pubs/B-GL-300-000-FP-000_e.pdf| access-date=4 January 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706181628/http://armyapp.forces.gc.ca/ael/pubs/B-GL-300-000-FP-000_e.pdf| archive-date=6 July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| last1=Dickenson| first1=Ron A.| last2=Joyce| first2=C. Tony| date=May 2002| title=The Military as a Profession: An Examination| publication-place=Ottawa| place=Canadian Forces Leadership Institute| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| page=20| url=http://www.cda-acd.forces.gc.ca/cfli/engraph/research/pdf/15.pdf| access-date=5 January 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051211133010/http://www.cda-acd.forces.gc.ca/CFLI/engraph/research/pdf/15.pdf| archive-date=11 December 2005}}</ref> The giving of faithfulness to the monarch in that way is a manifestation of a key responsibility central to the Canadian system of government<ref name="Aagaard">{{Cite journal| last=Aagaard| first=Lindsay| title=Fiduciary Duty and Members of Parliament| journal=Canadian Parliamentary Review| volume=31| issue=2| publisher=Commonwealth Parliamentary Association| location=Ottawa| year=2008| url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/Infoparl/english/issue.asp?param=189&art=1289| accessdate=10 February 2009}}</ref> and serves to "remind individuals taking it of the serious obligations and responsibilities that he or she is assuming."<ref name="Bedard1">{{Harvnb|Bédard|Robertson|2008|p=16}}</ref>
[[File:1TS 0197 (16440153338).jpg|thumb|left|Photo portrait of [[Elizabeth II]], [[Monarchy of Canada|Queen of Canada]], at the front of a citizenship ceremony, wherein the [[Oath of Citizenship (Canada)|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,"<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.monarchist.ca/new/quotes.html| title=An Archive of Quotations from The Queen and prominent Canadians about The Crown and Canada| last=Monarchist League of Canada| publisher=Monarchist League of Canada| access-date=5 January 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206201330/http://www.monarchist.ca/new/quotes.html| archive-date=December 6, 2008}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{Cite book | first=James| last=Robertson| title=Oath of Allegiance and the Canadian House of Commons| year=2005| pages=16–17| place=Ottawa| publisher=Library of Parliament}}</ref> The [[Federal Court (Canada)|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,"<ref name="Court">{{cite court| litigants=Charles C. Roach v. The Minister of State for Multiculturalism and Citizenship| vol=A-249-92| opinion=Case dismissed| pinpoint=Linden| court=Federal Court of Canada| date=20 January 1994| url=http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/fca/doc/1994/1994canlii3453/1994canlii3453.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923200439/http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/fca/doc/1994/1994canlii3453/1994canlii3453.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=23 September 2015| ref=CITEREFRoach_v_The_Minister_of_State_for_Multiculturalism_and_Citizenship1994}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{Harvnb| Roach v The Minister of State for Multiculturalism and Citizenship| 1994| loc=Freedom of association}}</ref>

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 [[wikt:reciprocal|reciprocal]];<ref name="Aagaard" /> mirroring citizens' oaths to the monarch,<ref>{{Cite book | last=Bousfield| first=Arthur |author2=Toffoli, Gary |title=Fifty Years the Queen| publisher=Dundurn Press| year=2002| location=Toronto| page=78| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w8l5reK7NjoC| isbn=1-55002-360-8}}</ref> the sovereign takes the [[Oath of office#Coronation Oath|Coronation Oath]], wherein he or she promises "to govern the peoples of [...] Canada [...] according to their respective laws and customs."<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.oremus.org/liturgy/coronation/cor1953b.html| title=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 > IV.The Oath| last=Kershaw| first=Simon| publisher=Simon Kershaw| year=2002| access-date=5 January 2009}}</ref> 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."<ref name="OLA">{{Cite web | last=Hansard| author-link=Hansard#Hansard in Canada| date=10 April 1996|  title=Committee Transcripts: Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly| series=Bill 22, Legislative Assembly Oath of Allegiance Act, 1995| location=Toronto| publisher=Queen's Printer for Ontario| url=http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/committee-proceedings/committee_transcripts_details.do;jsessionid=c72d607830d68e75be455a5244a3950ae2235bd3f36e.e3eQbNaNa3eRe34KaN4RaNeRb310n6jAmljGr5XDqQLvpAe?locale=en&Date=1996-04-10&ParlCommID=45&BillID=&Business=Bill+22%2C+Legislative+Assembly+Oath+of+Allegiance+Act%2C+1995&DocumentID=19205| access-date=5 January 2009}}</ref> For members of the Canadian Armed Forces, the oath to the monarch is "the soldier's code of moral obligation."<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.dnd.ca/somalia/vol1/v1c5e.htm| last=Department of National Defence| author-link=Department of National Defence (Canada)| title=Report of the Somalia Commission of Inquiry > Ethics in the Canadian Military| publisher=Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada| year=1997| access-date=5 January 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071002044147/http://www.dnd.ca/somalia/vol1/v1c5e.htm| archive-date=2 October 2007}}</ref>

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."<ref>{{citation| url=https://www.lesa.org/samples/24_21_04_p1.pdf| last1=Stevens| first1=Laura K.| last2=MacLeod| first2=Donald| title=An Ethics Primer for Criminal Lawyers| publisher=Legal Education Society of Alberta| page=1| location=Edmonton| accessdate=21 March 2023}}</ref> The sovereign's interests entail a broad field of liberty for the monarch's subjects.<ref>{{citation| url=https://vdoc.pub/documents/research-handbook-on-law-and-religion-1h8heimvopa0| last=Adhar| first=Rex J.| title=Research Handbook on Law and Religion| publisher=Colunms Design| accessdate=21 March 2023}}</ref><ref>{{citation| last=Shapiro| first=Ian| title=The Evolution of Rights in Liberal Theory| location=Cambridge| publisher=Cambridge University Press| year=1986| pages=29–40}}</ref>

==Taking the oath==
===Those required to take the oath===
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====
* [[Governor General of Canada|Governors general of Canada]]<ref name="GeoVI" />
* [[List of current members of the King's Privy Council for Canada|Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada]]<ref name="RH" />
* [[Lists of Canadian senators|Senators]]<ref name="S128" />
* [[Current members of the Canadian House of Commons|Members of Parliament]]<ref name="S128" />
* [[Clerk of the House of Commons (Canada)|Clerk of the House of Commons]]<ref>{{cite web| url=http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/P-1/page-16.html#s-49.|title=Parliament of Canada Act|  publisher=Department of Justice|date=28 March 2014|access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref>
* Justices of the [[Supreme Court of Canada#Current membership|Supreme Court of Canada]]
* Justices of the [[Federal Court of Appeal (Canada)#Judges|Federal Court of Appeal]]
* Justices of the [[Federal Court (Canada)|Federal Court]]
* Justice of the [[Tax Court of Canada]]
* [[Citizenship judge]]s
* All employees of the [[Canadian Security Intelligence Service]]<ref>{{cite web| url=http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-23/page-4.html#s-10.|title=Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act|  publisher=Department of Justice|date=28 March 2014|access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref>
* Recruits, officers, or naval cadets of the [[Canadian Armed Forces]]<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.ggfg.ottawa.on.ca/recruit.htm| last=Governor General's Foot Guards| title=Join the Guards| publisher=Governor General's Foot Guards| access-date=5 January 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116015916/http://www.ggfg.ottawa.on.ca/recruit.htm| archive-date=16 January 2009}}</ref>
* Members of the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]]<ref>{{cite web| url=http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/R-10/page-4.html|title=Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act| publisher=Department of Justice|date=28 March 2014|access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref>
* Officers of the [[Canada Border Services Agency]]
* Locally engaged staff at Canada's foreign missions who are Canadian citizens <ref>{{cite web| url=http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-95-152/index.html| title=Locally-Engaged Staff Employment Regulations (SOR/95-152)| publisher=Department of Justice|date=28 March 2014|access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref>
*Employees of Correctional Service Canada

====Provincial====
[[File:Ceremony08372.jpg|thumb|The swearing-in of [[Lieutenant Governor of Alberta]] [[Donald Ethell]], in front of the [[Alberta Legislature Building|Legislature Building]] in [[Edmonton]], 11 May 2010]]

* [[Lieutenant-Governor (Canada)|Lieutenant governors]]<ref>{{Harvnb| Victoria| 1867| loc=V.61}}</ref>
* Members of a legislature ([[Member of the Legislative Assembly#Canada|MLA]]s, [[Member of Provincial Parliament (Ontario)|MPP]]s, [[Member of the National Assembly (Quebec)|MNA]]s, and [[Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly|MHAs]])<ref name="S128" />
* Justices of the [[Court system of Canada#Appellate courts of the provinces and territories|appellate courts]], [[Court system of Canada#Superior-level courts of the provinces and territories|superior courts]], and [[Court system of Canada#Provincial and territorial superior trial courts|provincial courts]]
* [[Justices of the peace]] in British Columbia<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96379_01#section30|title=Provincial Court Act| publisher=Queen's Printer BC|date=8 February 2017|access-date=26 February 2017}}</ref>
* [[Auditor General of Ontario|Auditor general of Ontario]]<ref>{{Cite web | last=Elizabeth II| author-link=Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom| title=Auditor General Act| url=https://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90a35_e.htm| place=Toronto| date=1 June 2011| id=R.S.O. 1990, CHAPTER A.35| publisher=Queen's Printer for Ontario| access-date=8 April 2014}}</ref>
* Staff of the [[civil service]] in Ontario<ref>{{Cite web | last=Elizabeth II| author-link=Elizabeth II| date=1990| title=Public Service Act| series=10| location=Toronto| publisher=Queen's Printer for Ontario| id=R.S.O. 1990, c. P.47| url=http://www.canlii.org/on/laws/sta/p-47/20040304/whole.html#P307_13840| access-date=5 January 2009}}</ref> British Columbia,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/careers-myhr/all-employees/new-employees/first-four-months/oath|title=Oath of Employment - Province of British Columbia|last=Agency|first=BC Public Service|website=www2.gov.bc.ca|language=en|access-date=2018-04-06}}</ref> and Manitoba<ref>{{cite web| url=http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/ccsm/c110e.php|title= The Civil Service Act| publisher=Province of Manitoba| date=30 June 2004|access-date=8 April 2014}}</ref> 
* All other Crown appointees in Ontario<ref>{{Cite web | last=Elizabeth II| author-link=Elizabeth II| title=Public Officers Act| url=http://www.canlii.org/en/on/laws/stat/rso-1990-c-p45/latest/rso-1990-c-p45.html| place=Toronto| date=22 June 2006| id=R.S.O. 1990, CHAPTER P.45| publisher=Queen's Printer for Ontario| access-date=9 December 2009}}</ref>
* All police officers, railway constables, [[Special constable#Canada|special constables]], and reserve and [[auxiliary constable]]s in British Columbia<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/136_2002|title=Police Oath/Solemn Affirmation Regulation| publisher=Queen's Printer BC|date=7 June 2002|access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96395_01#section255|title=Railway Act| publisher=Queen's Printer BC|date=19 March 2014|access-date=8 April 2014}}</ref>
* All police officers, [[bylaw enforcement officer]]s, and special constables in Nova Scotia<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.novascotia.ca/just/regulations/regs/polregs.htm#TOC1_6|title= Police Regulations| publisher=Department of Justice| date=18 October 2013|access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref>
* Community peace officers in Alberta<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.solgps.alberta.ca/programs_and_services/public_security/peace_officers/Forms/Forms/AllItems.aspx|title=Forms - All Documents|website=www.solgps.alberta.ca|access-date=2016-12-15}}</ref>
* All police officers in Saskatchewan,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.qp.gov.sk.ca/documents/English/Regulations/Regulations/P15-01R5.pdf|title= The Municipal Police Recruiting Regulations, 1991| publisher=Saskatchewan Queen's Printer|year=1995|access-date=8 April 2014}}</ref> New Brunswick,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://laws.gnb.ca/en/showdoc/cr/81-18|title= Forms of Oath Regulation| publisher=Ministry of the Attorney General|date=25 March 2014|access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref> and Alberta<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.qp.alberta.ca/documents/Acts/P17.pdf|title= Police Act| series=Schedule 1|publisher=Queen's Printer Alberta| date=28 March 2014|access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref>
* Mayors and councillors in Nova Scotia<ref>{{cite web| url=http://nslegislature.ca/legc/statutes/muncpel.htm|title= Municipal Elections Act| publisher=Office of the Legislative Counsel| date= 8 February 2012|access-date=8 April 2014}}</ref> and all counsillors in Ontario<ref>{{citation| url=https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/01m25| author=Elizabeth II| title=Municipal Act| section=232| publisher=King's Printer for Ontario| accessdate=6 August 2023}}</ref>
* Medical examiners and investigators in Manitoba<ref>{{cite web| url=http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/ccsm/f052e.php|title=The Fatality Inquiries Act| publisher=Province of Manitoba| date=5 December 2013| accessdate=8 April 2014}}</ref> 
* Sheriffs in Newfoundland and Labrador<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.assembly.nl.ca/Legislation/sr/statutes/s3991.htm#7_|title=SHERIFF'S ACT, 1991|publisher=Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly|year=2011|access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref>
* Lawyers in Alberta,<ref>{{Cite canlaw| short title =Legal Profession Act| abbr =R.S.A.| year =2000| chapter =L-8| section =44| subsection =(2)| link =http://www.qp.alberta.ca/documents/Acts/l08.pdf| linkloc =Alberta Queen's Printer}}</ref> Newfoundland and Labrador,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.lawsociety.nf.ca/publications-and-forms/publications/project-daisy/barristers-roll/|title=Barristers' Roll|publisher=Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador| date=7 April 2014|access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref> Manitoba, and Prince Edward Island<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.lspei.pe.ca/admission_to_law.php| title=Admission as a Member of the Law Society| publisher=Law Society of Prince Edward Island| access-date=28 July 2011| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004150123/http://www.lspei.pe.ca/admission_to_law.php| archive-date=4 October 2011}}</ref>
* [[Notary Public|Notaries public]] in Newfoundland and Labrador<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.assembly.nl.ca/Legislation/sr/statutes/n05.htm|title= NOTARIES PUBLIC ACT| publisher=Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly|year=2010|access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref>

====Territorial====
* Commissioners and deputy commissioners of [[Yukon]], [[Northwest Territories]], and [[Nunavut]]<ref>{{cite web| url=http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/y-2.01/page-2.html#h-4|title=Yukon Act| publisher=Department of Justice|date= 28 March 2013|access-date=8 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/N-27/page-2.html#h-4|title=Northwest Territories Act| publisher=Department of Justice|date= 28 March 2013|access-date=8 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/N-28.6/page-2.html#docCont|title=Nunavut Act| publisher=Department of Justice|date= 28 March 2013|access-date=8 April 2014}}</ref>
* Members of the Executive Council of Nunavut<ref name="CanLii">{{cite web| url=https://www.canlii.org/en/nu/laws/stat/snu-2002-c-5/latest/snu-2002-c-5.html|title=Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act| work=CanLii|date=1 October 2013|access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref>
* Members of the Legislative Assemblies of [[Legislative Assembly of Nunavut|Nunavut]]<ref name="CanLii" /> and [[Yukon Legislative Assembly|Yukon]]<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.gov.yk.ca/legislation/acts/leas_c.pdf|title=Legislative Assembly Act| publisher=Queen's Printer Yukon|year=2008|access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref>
* Mayors, municipal councilors, and alderman of Yukon<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.gov.yk.ca/legislation/regs/co1973_398.pdf|title=Forms (oaths) Regulation C.O. 1973/398| publisher=Queen's Printer Yukon|date=17 September 1973|access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref>  
* Coroners of Yukon<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.gov.yk.ca/legislation/acts/coroners.pdf|title=Coroners Act| publisher=Queen's Printer Yukon|year=2002|access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref>  
* Lawyers in Northwest Territories and Nunavut<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.canlii.org/en/nu/laws/stat/rsnwt-nu-1988-c-l-2/latest/rsnwt-nu-1988-c-l-2.html| title=Legal Profession Act| publisher=CanLii|date=8 June 2012|access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref>

====Other====
* Board members of a regional district in British Columbia<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96323_08/|title=Local Government Act|  publisher=Queen's Printer BC|date=19 March 2014|access-date=8 April 2014}}</ref>
* Lawyers in Ontario,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.lsuc.on.ca/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=2147485805| title=By-Law 4| publisher=Law Society of Upper Canada| at=s. 22| date=25 October 2012| access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref> Nova Scotia,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://nsbs.org/become_a_lawyer/bar_admissions/bar_admissions_ceremonies|title=Bar Admission ceremonies|publisher=Nova Scotia Barristers' Society| date= 7 April 2014|access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref> New Brunswick,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.lawsociety-barreau.nb.ca/en/becoming-a-lawyer/admission-to-the-law-society|title=Admission to the Law Society|publisher=Law Society of New Brunswick|date=n.d.|access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref> and Yukon<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.gov.yk.ca/legislation/acts/lepr_c.pdf|title=Legal Profession Act|publisher=Queen's Printer Yukon|year=2012|access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref>
* Police officers, [[Special constable#Canada|special constables]], and [[auxiliary constable]]s in Ontario<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/source/regs/english/2010/elaws_src_regs_r10268_e.htm#BK3| title=ONTARIO REGULATION 268/10|publisher=Ministry of the Attorney General|date=17 July 2010|access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref>
* Mayors and councillors in British Columbia
* School trustees in British Columbia<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96412_04/|title= School Act| publisher=Queen's Printer BC|date=19 March 2014|access-date=8 April 2014}}</ref>
* Priests and deacons at ordination and Rectors at inductions or installations in certain dioceses of the Anglican Church of Canada.<ref>Canon 7.5.3 The Anglican Diocese of Fredericton</ref>

===Those for whom the oath is optional===
The Oath of Allegiance is optional for these individuals:

====Provincial====
* Lawyers in Ontario<ref name=Lund>{{citation| url=https://nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articles/law/opinion/2023/alberta-s-mandatory-oath-of-allegiance-is-systemic-discrimination| last=Lund| first=Anna| title=Alberta's mandatory oath of allegiance is systemic discrimination| date=8 March 2023| journal=CRA/ABC National| publisher=The Canadian Bar Association| accessdate=21 March 2023}}</ref>

====Territorial====
* Lawyers in [[Yukon]]<ref name=Lund/>

===Those desiring to take the oath===
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 {{lang|la|ex officio}} or by commission from the Crown, under the terms of the Oaths of Allegiance Act.<ref>Oaths of Allegiance Act R.S.C., 1985, c. O-1. https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/O-1/page-1.html</ref>

==Administration of the oath==
[[File:Jean-Oath.jpg|thumb|right|[[Michaëlle Jean]] reciting the Oath of Allegiance as she is sworn in as the 27th [[Governor General of Canada]], 27 September 2005]]

===Crown appointees===
The [[Letters Patent, 1947|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 [[Supreme Court of Canada#Current membership|chief justice]] or other judge of the [[Supreme Court of Canada]] in the presence of members of the [[King's Privy Council for Canada|King's Privy Council]].<ref name="GeoVI">{{Cite web | last=George VI| author-link=George VI| date=1 October 1947| title=Letters Patent Constituting the Office of Governor General of Canada| series=X.| location=Ottawa| publisher=King's Printer for Canada| url=http://www.solon.org/Constitutions/Canada/English/LettersPatent.html| access-date=5 January 2009| archive-date=24 September 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924103619/http://www.solon.org/Constitutions/Canada/English/LettersPatent.html| url-status=dead}}</ref> 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 [[Governor General of Canada#Appointment|a ceremony]] in the Senate chamber on [[Parliament Hill]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.nsd.nf.ca/HTML/Information/role.html| last=Newfoundland School for the Deaf| title=Role and Responsibilities of the Governor General| publisher=Newfoundland School for the Deaf| access-date=5 January 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207012051/http://www.nsd.nf.ca/HTML/Information/role.html| archive-date=7 December 2008}}</ref>

New members of the King's Privy Council recite, along with the [[Oath of office#Canada|Oath of Office]], [[King's Privy Council for Canada#Membership|a specific oath]] that contains a variant on the Oath of Allegiance,<ref name="RH">{{cite web| url=http://www.gg.ca/media/fs-fd/P3_e.asp| title=Oaths of Office| last=Office of the Governor General of Canada| author-link=Governor General of Canada| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| date=2 March 2006| access-date=5 January 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081115155214/http://www.gg.ca/media/fs-fd/P3_e.asp| archive-date=15 November 2008}}</ref> as administered by the [[Clerk of the Privy Council (Canada)|Clerk of the Privy Council]],<ref name="RH2">{{cite web| url=http://www.gg.ca/media/fs-fd/p2_e.asp| last=Office of the Governor General of Canada| author-link=Governor General of Canada| title=The Swearing-In of Privy Councillors| date=2 February 2006| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| access-date=5 January 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081115155231/http://www.gg.ca/media/fs-fd/P2_e.asp| archive-date=15 November 2008}}</ref> 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 [[Canadian Centennial|Canada's centennial]], the [[Premier (Canada)|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.<ref name="RH2" /> The chief justice of the Supreme Court similarly recites the Oath of Allegiance in front of the governor general.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page5179.asp| last=Royal Household at Buckingham Palace| title=The Monarchy Today > Queen and Commonwealth > Canada > The Queen's Role in Canada| publisher=Her Majesty the Queen| access-date=5 January 2009}}</ref>

===Parliamentarians===
The [[Clerk of the House of Commons (Canada)|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.<ref>{{Cite book | last1=Fraser| first1=Alistair| last2=Dawson| first2=W. F.| last3=Holtby| first3=John A.| date=1989| title=Beauchesne's Rules & Forms of the House of Commons of Canada| edition=Sixth| location=Toronto| publisher=The Carswell Company Limited| page=68}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite book | last=House of Commons| author-link=House of Commons of Canada | date=1875| title=Journals| location=Ottawa| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| page=176}}</ref> The only way to change this stipulation would be to amend [[Constitution of Canada|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.<ref>{{Harvnb|Bédard|Robertson|2008|p=17}}</ref>
[[File:Swearing In - Assermentation (37356449481).jpg|thumb|Then-leader of the [[Conservative Party of Canada]], [[Andrew Scheer]], is sworn into the [[King's Privy Council for Canada|Queen's Privy Council]] by [[Clerk of the Privy Council (Canada)|Clerk of the Privy Council]] [[Michael Wernick]], in front of Governor General [[David Johnston (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 [[treason]]ous 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.<ref>{{Cite book | last=Beauchesne| first=Arthur| date=1958| title=Rules & Forms of the House of Commons of Canada| edition=Fourth| location=Toronto| publisher=The Carswell Company Limited| page=14}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Harvnb|Bédard|Robertson|2008|p=7}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite thesis| last=Pryke| first=Kenneth George| date=1962| title=Nova Scotia and Confederation, 1864-1870| degree=PhD | location=Durham| publisher=Duke University| page=147}}</ref> Later, in 1976, members of the [[Quebec sovereignty movement|sovereigntist]] {{lang|fr|i=no|[[Parti Québécois]]}} (PQ) were elected to the [[National Assembly of Quebec]]; according to press reports, some of those persons swore the oath with their [[Crossed fingers|fingers crossed]] and others later added flippant commentary to their oath,<ref>{{Cite news | last=Lynch| first=Charles| title=Bloc Québécois: Members Make Oaths of Office Seem Ridiculous| newspaper=The Ottawa Citizen| date=29 July 1990}}</ref> such as, "{{lang|fr|et aussi au roi de France}}" ("and also to the king of France"), and, "{{lang|fr|Vive la république}}" ("live the republic!"), or whispered the words, "{{lang|fr|Sa Majesté la Reine Élisabeth II}}".<ref name="MLC" /> 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."<ref>{{Cite book | last=Coates| first=Colin MacMillan| title=Majesty in Canada: essays on the role of royalty| publisher=Dundurn Press Ltd.| year=2006| location=Toronto| page=12| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FhFyvhpPx8MC| isbn=978-1-55002-586-6}}</ref> None of the actions had any effect on the enforcement of the oath itself, however.<ref>{{Harvnb|Bédard|Robertson|2008|p=10}}</ref>

===Canadian Armed Forces members===
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 subject]]s who enroll in the forces must take the Oath of Allegiance before either a [[Officer (armed forces)#Commissioned officers|commissioned officer]] or a [[Justice of the Peace|justice of the peace]].

<div style="border-radius-topright:0px;border-radius-bottomleft:0px; padding: 1px; text-align:left; margin:auto; border:1px solid #7BA05B; color:black; width:90%;">{{quote|''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.''}}</div>

Those who are not Canadian citizens or British subjects must recite a longer oath:<ref>{{Cite web | last=Department of National Defence| author-link=Department of National Defence (Canada)| date=14 July 2008| title=Queen's Regulations and Orders| volume=1| series=6.04| location=Ottawa| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| url=http://www.admfincs-smafinsm.forces.gc.ca/qro-orf/vol-01/doc/chapter-chapitre-006.pdf| access-date=7 January 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706181645/http://www.admfincs-smafinsm.forces.gc.ca/qro-orf/vol-01/doc/chapter-chapitre-006.pdf| archive-date=6 July 2011}}</ref>

<div style="border-radius-topright:0px;border-radius-bottomleft:0px; padding: 1px; text-align:left; margin:auto; border:1px solid #7BA05B; color:black; width:90%;">{{quote|''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.''}}</div>

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

==Opposition and augmentation==
{{See also|Oath of Allegiance (New Zealand)#Alteration and augmentation of oaths}}

===Federal===
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.<ref>{{Cite book | last=Hansard| author-link=Hansard| date=14 March 1994| title=House of Commons, Debates| series=1140| location=Ottawa| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| id=Ted White, MP}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | last=Hansard| author-link=Hansard| date=5 May 2003| title=House of Commons, Debates| series=1730| location=Ottawa| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| id=Eugène Bellemare, MP}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite book | last=Hansard| author-link=Hansard| date=16 April 2002| title=Senate, Debates| series=1520 (Question Period)| publication-place=Ottawa| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada}}</ref> [[René Arseneault]] tabled a [[private member's bill]] in January 2024 seeking to replace the oath to the Canadian monarch with simply a promise to carry the duties of an MP "in the best interest of Canada while upholding its constitution," without defining what ''Canada'' means. Pierre Vincent, speaking for [[Citizens for a Canadian Republic]] called the oath "colonial, medieval stuff" comparable to a former Mexican tradition of "sacrificing virgins", while [[John Fraser (journalist)|John Fraser]], President of the Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada, called the bill "a stupid idea" and "all based on emotionalism", saying "I don't think we should marginalize something [the Crown] that is an integral part of our system of government." Barbara Messamore, a professor of history at the [[University of the Fraser Valley]] and an expert on the Canadian Crown, defined the move as a "profound change by stealth" and allegiance to Canada's constitution and system of government as "pretty significant."<ref name=Tasker/> The bill was defeated in April 2024.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tasker |first1=John Paul |title=MPs kill bill that would have made oath to King Charles optional |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mps-kill-bill-change-oath-king-charles-1.7169874 |access-date=11 April 2024 |work=CBC |date=10 April 2024}}</ref>

All members of the [[Canadian civil service|federal Civil Service]] were previously required to take the Oath of Allegiance before being officially hired; a stipulation that prompted Vincent, who is of [[Acadian]] descent and, at the time, a civil servant 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,<ref>{{Cite book | last=Smith| first=David E.| date=1995| title=The Invisible Crown| location=Toronto| publisher=University of Toronto Press| page=79| isbn=0-8020-0743-0}}</ref> 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 (Canada)|Oath of Citizenship]] has also [[Oath of Citizenship (Canada)#Public action|met with opposition]]; though, this was never a constitutional matter,<ref name=SV/> instead falling within the scope of the ''[[Canadian nationality law|Citizenship Act]]''.

===Alberta===
Thirty two law professors in Alberta sent a letter to [[Alberta Justice|Minister of Justice]] [[Tyler Shandro]], in July 2022, asking that the Executive Council table legislation in the [[Legislative Assembly of Alberta|legislature]] that proposes to remove the requirement that prospective lawyers recite the Oath of Allegiance before being admitted to the provincial [[Bar (law)|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.<ref>{{citation| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/32-alberta-law-professors-sign-letter-calling-for-government-to-make-oath-to-queen-optional-1.6520142| last=Szulc| first=Katarina| title=32 Alberta law professors sign letter calling for government to make oath to Queen optional| date=14 July 2022| publisher=CBC News| accessdate=21 March 2023}}</ref> A similar [[Oath of Citizenship (Canada)#Legality of the oath|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."<ref>{{citation| url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alberta/article-alberta-faces-pressure-to-drop-requirement-that-lawyers-swear-oath-to/| last=Smith| first=Alanna| title=Alberta faces pressure to drop requirement that lawyers swear oath to king| date=7 February 2023| newspaper=The Globe and Mail| accessdate=21 March 2023}}</ref>

Three [[Indigenous peoples in Canada|Indigenous Canadian]] graduates of law schools in different provinces took legal action, on 7 September 2022, against the [[Monarchy in Alberta|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.{{refn|<ref name=SCC1>{{cite court| litigants=Haida Nation v British Columbia (Minister of Forests)| vol=3| reporter=Haida Nation| pinpoint=73| court=Supreme Court of Canada| date=2004| postscript=511}}</ref><ref name=SCC2>{{cite court| litigants=Taku River Tlingit First Nation v British Columbia (Project Assessment Director)| vol=3| reporter=Taku River| pinpoint=74| court=Supreme Court of Canada| date=2004| postscript=550}}</ref><ref name=SCC3>{{cite court| litigants=Mikasew Cree First Nation v Canada (Minister of Canadian Heritage)| vol=3| pinpoint=69| court=Supreme Court of Canada| date=2005| postscript=388}}</ref>}} 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";<ref>{{citation| url=https://windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/first-nations-lawyers-law-student-fight-against-swearing-allegiance| last=Shari| first=Narine| title=First Nations lawyers, law student fight against swearing allegiance to oppressors| date=20 October 2022| publisher=WindSpeaker| accessdate=21 March 2023}}</ref> though, Snow believes the oath is to the British Crown.<ref>{{citation| url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9677175/alberta-lawyer-oath-king-legal-challenge/| last=de Castillo| first=Carolyn Kury| title=Alberta lawyer requirement to swear oath to king being challenged in court| date=6 May 2023| publisher=Global News| accessdate=11 August 2023}}</ref>

===New Brunswick===
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.<ref name=R-C>{{citation| url=https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1988226/avocat-acadien-conteste-serment-allegeance-roi-couronne| last=Drummond| first=Gabrielle| title=Un avocat acadien conteste l’obligation de prêter serment d’allégeance au roi| date=15 June 2023| publisher=Radio-Canada| accessdate=11 August 2023}}</ref>

===Ontario===
Ontario [[Member of Provincial Parliament (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.<ref name=OLA/>

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.<ref>{{citation| url=https://www.recorder.ca/news/motion-to-remove-oath-of-allegiance-to-king-fails| last=Zajac| first=Ronald| title=Motion to remove oath of allegiance to King fails| date=27 February 2023| newspaper=Recorder & Times| accessdate=6 August 2023}}</ref>

===Quebec===
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 [[Louis XV of France|King Louis XV]] to King [[George III]] via the [[Treaty of Paris (1763)|1763 Treaty of Paris]]. The ''[[Quebec Act]]'', issued in 1774, subsequently established a special Oath of Allegiance for the [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] of Quebec that, unlike the one sworn by others, which had remained the same since the reign of [[Elizabeth I of England|Queen Elizabeth I]], bore no references to the [[Protestantism|Protestant faith]]. It read:
[[File:Oath of allegiance 1768.jpg|thumb|The Oath of allegiance signed by Pierre Beliveau, an [[Acadian]], on 31 May 1768]]
<blockquote>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.<ref>{{Cite book | last=George III| author-link=George III of Great Britain| date=1774| title=Quebec Act| series=VII| location=Westminster| publisher=King's Printer| id=14 George III, c. 83 (U.K.)| url=http://www.solon.org/Constitutions/Canada/English/PreConfederation/qa_1774.html| access-date=5 February 2010}}</ref></blockquote>

In 1970, the recently elected members of the sovereigntist {{lang|fr|i=no|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.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/parties_leaders/topics/870-5019/| title=René Lévesque's Separatist Fight > René, The Queen and the FLQ > Did you know?| publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation| access-date=5 January 2009}}</ref> 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,<ref>{{Cite web | last=Elizabeth II| author-link=Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom| date=1982| title=An Act Respecting the National Assembly of Quebec| series=Schedule I.15| location=Quebec| publisher=Éditeur officiel du Québec| id=R.S.Q., chapter A-23.1| url=http://www2.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/dynamicSearch/telecharge.php?type=2&file=/A_23_1/A23_1_A.html| access-date=5 January 2009}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite book | last=National Assembly of Quebec| author-link=National Assembly of Quebec| date=1986| title=Manuel des membres de l'Assemblée nationale| series=2.1| location=Quebec| publisher=Éditeur officiel du Québec| page=2}}</ref> Still, some saw the monarch, in that context, as representative of the Quebec state and not of Canada, taking into account [[Monarchy in the Canadian provinces|Canada's "divisible" Crown]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Bédard|Robertson|2008|p=9}}</ref>

The PQ and its leader, [[Paul St-Pierre Plamondon]], said after the [[2022 Quebec general election|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,<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9205049/parti-quebecois-leader-pspp-king-charles-oath/| title=Parti Québécois leader insists he won't swear oath to King before taking office| publisher=Global News}}</ref><ref>{{citation| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/parti-quebecois-oath-king-1.6612718| title=Parti Québécois leader wants to sit in National Assembly without swearing oath to King| date=11 October 2022| publisher=CBC News| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221028230234/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/parti-quebecois-oath-king-1.6612718| archive-date=28 October 2022| url-status=live}}</ref> arguing, "you can't serve two masters at the same time."<ref>{{Cite news|  url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9190496/pq-leader-quebec-oath-to-king/| title='Can't serve two masters': Parti Québécois leader refuses to swear oath to King| publisher=Global News}}</ref> On 19 October 2022, the 11 {{lang|fr|i=no|[[Québec Solidaire]]}} MNAs announced they also did not wish to swear the Oath of Allegiance.<ref>{{Cite news | date=19 October 2022| title=Québec Solidaire MNAs skip oath to King when sworn in, PQ to follow suit| publisher=CBC News| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/parti-quebec-quebec-solidaire-mna-oath-1.6621389| accessdate=22 November 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| url=https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/quebec-solidaire-mnas-to-refuse-to-swear-allegiance-to-king-charles-iii| title=Québec solidaire MNAs shun oath of allegiance to King Charles III| newspaper=Montreal Gazette}}</ref> In response, the President of the National Assembly, [[François Paradis]], asserted that the PQ and {{lang|fr|i=no|Québec Solidaire}} MNAs were required to recite the oath or risk expulsion from the legislature.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9242596/quebec-politicians-oath-king-charles/| title=Quebec politicians must swear oath to King Charles to sit in legislature: Speaker| publisher=Global News}}</ref> While QS members eventually did swear allegiance, on 1 December 2022, PQ MNAs continued to refuse and were stopped from entering the legislature.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9317725/parti-quebecois-oath-king-charles-refusal-legislature/| title=Parti Québécois barred from sitting in legislature for refusing oath to King| publisher=Global News}}</ref> The [[Executive Council of Quebec|Executive Council]], occupied by the {{lang|fr|i=no|[[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.{{refn|<ref name=Campagnolo/><ref>{{citation| url=https://www.slaw.ca/2022/12/14/challenging-the-constitutional-order-where-does-the-alberta-sovereignty-in-a-united-canada-act-fit-in/| last=Huges| first=Patricia| title=Challenging the Constitutional Order: Where Does the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act Fit In?| date=14 December 2022| journal=Slaw| accessdate=21 March 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Citation| url=https://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/caq-plans-to-introduce-bill-making-oath-to-king-optional-for-legislators| title=CAQ bill would make oath to King optional for Quebec MNAs| newspaper=Montreal Gazette}}</ref>}} That bill passed the assembly with unanimous consent on 6 December 2022.<ref>{{Citation| url=https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/quebec-adopts-law-making-oath-to-king-optional-for-elected-members-1.6188392| title=Quebec adopts law making oath to King optional for elected members| date=9 December 2022| publisher=CTV News}}</ref> It remains unclear if the law has any effect.<ref>{{Citation| url=https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/quebec-rewrite-canada-constitution| last=Hopper| first=Tristan| title=First Reading: Quebec is trying to unilaterally rewrite the Constitution again| date=9 December 2022| newspaper=National Post| accessdate=22 January 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Citation| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-canada-constitution-changes-language-bill-1.6031828| last=Montpetit| first=Jonathan| title=Quebec's proposed changes to Constitution seem small, but they could prompt historic makeover| date=19 May 2021| publisher=CBC News| accessdate=22 January 2023}}</ref>

===Prince Edward Island===
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 [[Executive Council of Prince Edward Island|Ministry of Justice]] stated possible amendments to the ''Law on Legal Professions'' are being evaluated.<ref name=R-C/>

==See also==
* [[Oath of allegiance]]
* [[Oath of office]]
* [[Oath of citizenship]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=n}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040905042239/http://www.gg.ca/media/info/ggbg-04_e.asp Governor-General's Media Fact Sheet: The Oath]
*[http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/bp241-e.htm Oaths of Allegiance and the Canadian House of Commons]
*[http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/showdoc/cs/O-1//20080625/en?command=HOME&caller=SI&fragment=Oaths&search_type=all&day=25&month=6&year=2008&search_domain=cs&showall=L&statuteyear=all&lengthannual=50&length=50&offset=2 Oaths of Allegiance Act]

[[Category:Oaths of allegiance|Canada]]
[[Category:Government of Canada]]
[[Category:Monarchy of Canada]]