Oaths Act 1888
Encyclopedia
The Oaths Act 1888 was an Act
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
which set out provisions whereby the oath of allegiance
taken to the Sovereign may be solemnly affirmed
rather than sworn to God
. The Act was the culmination of a campaign by the noted atheist and secularist MP Charles Bradlaugh
to take his seat. It was a significant piece of secularist legislation. The Act was consolidated and repealed by the Oaths Act 1978.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
which set out provisions whereby the oath of allegiance
Oath of allegiance
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...
taken to the Sovereign may be solemnly affirmed
Affirmation in law
In law, an affirmation is a solemn declaration allowed to those who conscientiously object to taking an oath. An affirmation has exactly the same legal effect as an oath, but is usually taken to avoid the religious implications of an oath...
rather than sworn to God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. The Act was the culmination of a campaign by the noted atheist and secularist MP Charles Bradlaugh
Charles Bradlaugh
Charles Bradlaugh was a political activist and one of the most famous English atheists of the 19th century. He founded the National Secular Society in 1866.-Early life:...
to take his seat. It was a significant piece of secularist legislation. The Act was consolidated and repealed by the Oaths Act 1978.
External links
- HansardHansardHansard is the name of the printed transcripts of parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of government. It is named after Thomas Curson Hansard, an early printer and publisher of these transcripts.-Origins:...
, Second Reading of the Oaths Bill, 14 March 1888 - Hansard, Third Reading of the Oaths Bill, 09 August 1888