Challenge the Oath

Oaths in Europe and the Commonwealth

Australia

Australian MPs continue to take an oath of allegiance / affirmation. The Oath is attached as a schedule to the Constitution:

OATH:

"I, ... , do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her heirs and successors according to law. So help me God."

AFFIRMATION:

"I, ... , do solemnly and sincerely affirm and declare that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her heirs and successors according to law."

Australia has however changed the rules on oaths of allegiance for new citizens. In 1994 the text was amended to reflect Australian values, a 'pledge of commitment to Australia'. There are two options, with with reference to God:

Australian Citizenship Pledge 1

"From this time forward, under God, I pledge my loyalty to Australia and its people, whose democratic beliefs I share, whose rights and liberties I respect, and whose laws I will uphold and obey."

Australian Citizenship Pledge 2

"From this time forward, I pledge my loyalty to Australia and its people, whose democratic beliefs I share, whose rights and liberties I respect, and whose laws I will uphold and obey."

Canada

Canada's constitution requires parliamentarians to swear an oath to the British Monarch:

Text:

"I, ... , do swear, That I will be faithful and bear true Allegiance to Her Majesty Queen... Note. 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."

New Zealand

New Zealand parliamentarians must swear an oath of allegiance to the monarch. An unsuccessful attempt was made to amend the parliamentary oath in New Zealand in 2005. The Oaths (Modernisation) Bill attempted to amend the parliamentary oath to include loyalty to the nation and its values, rights and freedoms. Reportedly the Bill may receive fresh attempts in 2008.

Recent Reforms in the Commonwealth

2003 - The Jamaican senate removed the Oath of Allegiance and the Judicial Oath any mention of the Queen. Parliamentarians and judges swear loyalty to the constitution. Only the Governor-General would continue to pledge allegiance to the Queen as head of state.

2004 - St. Lucia passed a constitutional amendment replacing the oath of allegiance and the judicial oath to the Head of State (Queen Elizabeth), with an oath to St. Lucia and its people.

2006 - New South Wales Parliament, Australia, voted to abolish its oath of allegiance to the monarch, the first state to do so.

European Parliaments

The majority of European parliaments require an oath to be sworn but pledging allegiance and faithfulness to the constitution, or the citizen body, rather than the monarchy. Sweden, Italy and Ireland do not require an oath from their parliamentarians, and neither does the European Parliament.