Oath of allegiance
Encyclopedia
An oath of allegiance is an oath
whereby a subject
or citizen acknowledges a duty of allegiance
and swears loyalty to monarch
or country. In republics, modern oaths specify allegiance to the country's constitution
. For example, officials in the United States
, a republic, take an oath of office that includes swearing allegiance to the United States Constitution
. However, in Canada
, a constitutional monarchy, oaths are sworn to the Canadian monarch.
In feudal
times a person would also swear allegiance to his feudal superiors. To this day the oath sworn by freemen of the City of London
contains an oath of obedience to the Lord Mayor of the City of London.
Oaths of allegiance are commonly required of newly-naturalised citizens (see Oath of Citizenship
), members of the armed forces, and those assuming public (particularly parliamentary and judicial) office. Clergy in the Church of England
are required to take an Oath of Supremacy
acknowledging the authority of the British monarch.
A typical example of an oath of allegiance is that sworn by Members of Parliament
in the Netherlands
:
In many Commonwealth realm
s all that is required is an oath to the monarch, and not the constitution or state. There have been moves in some of the realms to make the oath of citizenship sworn by new citizens refer to the country rather than the monarch. However, the oaths sworn by judges, members of parliament, etc., have not been changed. In New South Wales
, there are plans for MPs and ministers' oaths to be made to "Australia" rather than the Queen. All of these moves have not succeeded as the Queen is the personification of the Canadian, British, or Australian state (or that of any other Commonwealth realm). Allegiance sworn to the monarch is as same as to the country, its constitution or flag. The New Zealand
Oath of Allegiance
still refers to the Queen of New Zealand
. The European Court of Human Rights
ruled in 1999 that the oath of allegiance to a reigning monarch is "reasonably viewed as an affirmation of loyalty to the constitutional principles which support... the workings of representative democracy in the respondent State."
Oath
An oath is either a statement of fact or a promise calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually God, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact. To swear is to take an oath, to make a solemn vow...
whereby a subject
Nationality
Nationality is membership of a nation or sovereign state, usually determined by their citizenship, but sometimes by ethnicity or place of residence, or based on their sense of national identity....
or citizen acknowledges a duty of allegiance
Allegiance
An allegiance is a duty of fidelity said to be owed by a subject or a citizen to his/her state or sovereign.-Etymology:From Middle English ligeaunce . The al- prefix was probably added through confusion with another legal term, allegeance, an "allegation"...
and swears loyalty to monarch
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
or country. In republics, modern oaths specify allegiance to the country's constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
. For example, officials in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, a republic, take an oath of office that includes swearing allegiance to the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
. However, in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, a constitutional monarchy, oaths are sworn to the Canadian monarch.
In feudal
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
times a person would also swear allegiance to his feudal superiors. To this day the oath sworn by freemen of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
contains an oath of obedience to the Lord Mayor of the City of London.
Oaths of allegiance are commonly required of newly-naturalised citizens (see Oath of Citizenship
Oath of citizenship
An Oath of Citizenship is an oath taken by immigrants that officially naturalizes immigrants into citizens. It is often the final step in this process, and is usually done in a ceremonial capacity. An oath of citizenship is designed to be a statement of loyalty and patriotism to the new country...
), members of the armed forces, and those assuming public (particularly parliamentary and judicial) office. Clergy in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
are required to take an Oath of Supremacy
Oath of Supremacy
The Oath of Supremacy, originally imposed by King Henry VIII of England through the Act of Supremacy 1534, but repealed by his daughter, Queen Mary I of England and reinstated under Mary's sister, Queen Elizabeth I of England under the Act of Supremacy 1559, provided for any person taking public or...
acknowledging the authority of the British monarch.
A typical example of an oath of allegiance is that sworn by Members of Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
:
In many Commonwealth realm
Commonwealth Realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six...
s all that is required is an oath to the monarch, and not the constitution or state. There have been moves in some of the realms to make the oath of citizenship sworn by new citizens refer to the country rather than the monarch. However, the oaths sworn by judges, members of parliament, etc., have not been changed. In New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, there are plans for MPs and ministers' oaths to be made to "Australia" rather than the Queen. All of these moves have not succeeded as the Queen is the personification of the Canadian, British, or Australian state (or that of any other Commonwealth realm). Allegiance sworn to the monarch is as same as to the country, its constitution or flag. The New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Oath of Allegiance
Oath of Allegiance (New Zealand)
The New Zealand Oath of Allegiance is defined by the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957. All Oaths can be taken in either Māori or English form. It is possible to take a affirmation, which has the same legal effect as an Oath.-Oath:...
still refers to the Queen of New Zealand
Monarchy in New Zealand
The monarchy of New Zealand also referred to as The Crown in Right of New Zealand, Her Majesty in Right of New Zealand, or The Queen in Right of New Zealand is the constitutional system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of the Realm of New Zealand,...
. The European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
ruled in 1999 that the oath of allegiance to a reigning monarch is "reasonably viewed as an affirmation of loyalty to the constitutional principles which support... the workings of representative democracy in the respondent State."
See also
- Oath of Allegiance (Australia)Oath of Allegiance (Australia)In Australia the Oath of Allegiance and the Affirmation of Allegiance are oaths of allegiance made to the monarch of Australia. Both are defined by the Constitution of Australia....
- Oath of Allegiance (Canada)Oath of Allegiance (Canada)The Canadian Oath of Allegiance is a promise or declaration of fealty to the Canadian monarch, taken, along with other specific oaths of office, by new occupants of various government positions, including federal and provincial viceroys, appointees to the Queen's Privy Council, Supreme Court...
- Constitution of Fiji: Chapter 17Constitution of Fiji: Chapter 17Chapter 17 of the Constitution of Fiji is named "Schedule Oaths and Affirmations." It is the last chapter of the Constitution. It sets out oaths and oaths of offices to be taken by politicians of Fiji.-Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance:...
- Oath of Allegiance (Ireland)Oath of Allegiance (Ireland)The Irish Oath of Allegiance was a controversial provision in the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, which Irish TDs and Senators were required to take, in order to take their seats in Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann .-Text of the Oath:The Oath was included in Article 17 of the Irish Free State's 1922...
- Oath of Allegiance (New Zealand)Oath of Allegiance (New Zealand)The New Zealand Oath of Allegiance is defined by the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957. All Oaths can be taken in either Māori or English form. It is possible to take a affirmation, which has the same legal effect as an Oath.-Oath:...
- Oath of Allegiance (Philippines)Panatang MakabayanThe Patriotic Oath is one of two national pledges of the Philippines, the other being the Pledge of Allegiance to the Philippine Flag . It is commonly recited at school flag ceremonies, after the singing of the national anthem , but before the Pledge of Allegiance.Recitation of the pledge is...
- Oath of Allegiance (Sweden)Oath of Allegiance (Sweden)The Oath of Allegiance of Sweden was an oath that had to be taken by public office holders in Sweden up and till the new Constitution came into force on 1 January 1975.The oath was as follows:This in translation becomes;...
- Oath of Allegiance (United Kingdom)
- Oath of Allegiance (United States)
- Pledge of Allegiance (Philippine)Panunumpa ng Katapatan sa WatawatThe Pledge of Allegiance to the Philippine Flag is the pledge to the flag of the Philippines. It is one of two national pledges, the other being the Patriotic Oath, which is the Philippine national pledge....
- Pledge of Allegiance (US)Pledge of AllegianceThe Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is an expression of loyalty to the federal flag and the republic of the United States of America, originally composed by Christian Socialist Francis Bellamy in 1892 and formally adopted by Congress as the pledge in 1942...
- Oath of CitizenshipOath of citizenshipAn Oath of Citizenship is an oath taken by immigrants that officially naturalizes immigrants into citizens. It is often the final step in this process, and is usually done in a ceremonial capacity. An oath of citizenship is designed to be a statement of loyalty and patriotism to the new country...
- Oath of OfficeOath of officeAn oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before undertaking the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations...
- Bay'ahBay'ahBay'ah , in Islamic terminology, is an oath of allegiance to a leader. It is known to have been practiced by the Islamic prophet Muhammad...
- South African schools pledgeSouth African schools pledgeIn February 2008 the South African government started a public participation process to create a pledge of allegiance to be recited daily by schoolchildren...