Citizenship oath to the Queen constitutional, court rules

Forcing would-be Canadians to take an oath to the Queen as a condition of citizenship has been ruled constitutional.

An Ontario Superior Court justice has dismissed an application by three permanent residents, who argued the requirement violated their rights.

The judge found that making citizen applicants take the oath does infringe on their right to free speech.

However, he also ruled the provision could be justified as a reasonable limit in a free and democratic society.

The three applicants in the case oppose the oath on religious or conscientious grounds, saying pledging allegiance to Canada should be enough.

For its part, the federal government argued the oath to the Queen has been around since Confederation and the applicants are in Canada voluntarily.