the case
In some professions, professionals are required to swear an oath
to gain entry to the profession. In Alberta, this is the case for
lawyers – there are three oaths required to be sworn by all
lawyers who enter the profession: an Oath of Allegiance and an
Official Oath, both under the Oaths of Office Act, and an
additional oath required by the Law Society of Alberta. At bar call
ceremonies, all prospective lawyers must swear all three oaths
before they become members.
In an interesting case from late 2023, Mr. Wirring, who is an
amrithdhari Sikh, objected to the requirement to swear the Oath of
Allegiance, which require prospective lawyers to "be faithful
and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second,
her heirs and successors, according to law". Mr. Wirring felt
that he should be allowed to be admitted to the profession without
being required to swear this oath, as he has pledged an absolute
oath of allegiance to Akal Purakh, the
