Won't swear to the King: Sikh lawyer forces Canada to drop monarch oath

New Delhi,UPDATED: Dec 26, 2025 01:36 IST

A Sikh lawyer from a small village in Punjab has triggered a landmark legal shift in Canada, forcing the country’s highest court to scrap a century-old requirement that compelled professionals to swear allegiance to the British monarch.

Prabhjot Singh Wirring, who hails from Waring village in Punjab’s Sri Muktsar Sahib district, challenged the mandatory oath to the Crown, arguing that it violated his Sikh faith. His case led Canadian courts to rule that no individual can be forced to take an oath to the monarch in order to practise a profession.

Born in Canada in 1987, Wirring completed his law degree and sought admission to the bar in Alberta. However, he refused to take the oath of allegiance to King Charles, saying that as a Sikh of Guru Gobind Singh, he could not place anyone above his Guru.

“I am a Sikh of Guru Gobind Singh. I cannot consider anyone greater than my Guru,” Wirring argued, making it clear that he was willing to practise law but would not take the oath.

At the time, Alberta required all new lawyers to swear allegiance to the monarch as a condition for admission to the bar. While similar oaths exist in other provinces, most either make them optional or allow alternative affirmations. Wirring maintained that the requirement forced him to choose between his faith and his profession, amounting to a violation of his constitutional right to freedom of religion.

His initial challenge was dismissed by a lower court. Wirring then escalated the matter, eventually reaching the Supreme Court of Canada after filing his case in 2022. On December 16, 2025, the Alberta Court of Appeal ruled in his favour, holding that the mandatory oath breached the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and ordering the province to change the requirement.

In its ruling, the court revisited a legal practice dating back to 1912 and concluded that allegiance to the monarch could no longer be a mandatory condition for holding a position or entering a profession. The judgment marked a significant shift in Canadian constitutional practice.

The decision has brought relief not only to Wirring and his family but also to others who objected to the oath on religious or personal grounds.

Back in Waring village, residents expressed pride that a Sikh youth from their community had brought recognition to the village, Punjab, and India. Villagers said Wirring has lived in Canada for many years but has remained deeply rooted in Sikh values since childhood. His family, they said, is a devout Gursikh family.

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