{"id":3663,"date":"2013-01-28T15:59:35","date_gmt":"2013-01-28T23:59:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/private-person.com\/blog\/?p=3663"},"modified":"2015-07-28T14:38:21","modified_gmt":"2015-07-28T21:38:21","slug":"oaths-update-b-c-lawyers-not-bound-by-allegiance-to-the-queen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/private-person.com\/blog\/2013\/01\/oaths-update-b-c-lawyers-not-bound-by-allegiance-to-the-queen\/","title":{"rendered":"Oaths Update: B.C. Lawyers NOT Bound By Allegiance to the Queen"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many folks state that the lawyers, as part of the BAR, are accountable to the Queen. If they are, why did they remove the oath of allegiance to the Queen in 1993 (in B.C.)? Apparently on the motion of only ONE individual this rather major change was instituted (Benchers minutes link below).<\/p>\n

Section 2-51<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0Law Society of British Columbia Rules<\/a> requires any lawyer who is called to the Bar of British Columbia and admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court to take\u00a0a barristers’ and solicitors’ oath in a form approved by the Benchers.\u00a0 The current form was adopted by the Benchers in April 1993 in response to a proposal to eliminate the requirement to swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen<\/strong>.\u00a0 Click for a copy of the\u00a0Benchers’ minutes<\/a> and the current Barristers’ and Solicitors’ Oath<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you check out other oaths, most have “allegiance to the Queen” as part of the oath to hold office. <\/p>\n

Extract of Benchers Minutes from April, 1993<\/p>\n

\"benchers<\/a>

benchers minutes extract-lawyers oath<\/p><\/div>\n

Anybody want to do a chart for easy reference?<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.courthouselibrary.ca\/ItemDetails.aspx?Source=Asked+%26+Answered&ID=263<\/a><\/p>\n

FYI NOTE: the\u00a0 various BAR \u00a0Law Societies are private, unregulated associations that\u00a0effectively\u00a0write, interpret,\u00a0prosecute\u00a0(and punish) all the laws.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n