Who is Prabjot Singh Wirring: Sikh lawyer who won legal battle and forced Canada to drop monarch oath
Wirring, an Amritdhari Sikh, faced a difficult choice: take an oath pledging “true allegiance” to the monarch or give up his career as a lawyer.
PTC News Desk: Edmonton-based Sikh lawyer Prabjot Singh Wirring refused to take an oath of allegiance to the King, saying his Sikh faith allows him to swear loyalty only to Akal Purakh. His legal battle has now become an important case involving religious freedom in Canada.
Wirring, an Amritdhari Sikh, faced a difficult choice: take an oath pledging “true allegiance” to the monarch or give up his career as a lawyer. He argued that his faith requires a lifelong commitment to Akal Purakh and does not allow him to make a similar pledge to a worldly ruler.
The requirement for Alberta lawyers to swear allegiance to the monarch became the centre of a constitutional dispute. In June 2022, Wirring filed a lawsuit against the Alberta government and the Law Society of Alberta, arguing that the mandatory oath violated his constitutional right to religious freedom.
His first legal challenge was unsuccessful. In October 2023, the Court of King’s Bench rejected his claim, saying the oath was mainly symbolic and did not directly violate his religious freedom.
Wirring then appealed the decision
On December 16, 2025, the Alberta Court of Appeal unanimously ruled in his favour. A three-judge panel said forcing lawyers to swear allegiance to the monarch unfairly restricted religious freedom and was unconstitutional.
The court directed the province to change or remove the law to allow religious exemptions.
Why the case matters
The ruling puts Alberta alongside provinces such as British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario, which have either removed the royal oath requirement for lawyers or provided alternative options.
For Wirring, the case is about more than the wording of an oath. He argues that people should not have to choose between following their religious beliefs and pursuing their profession.
Alberta takes the case to Canada's top court
The Alberta government appealed the decision in February 2026 and asked the Supreme Court of Canada to hear the case.
In August 2026, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the appeal.
The court's final decision will determine whether Alberta can legally require lawyers to swear allegiance to the monarch and whether religious exemptions must be provided to lawyers who cannot take such an oath because of their faith.
The case, which began in 2022, has now become a major test of religious freedom, equal access to professions and the role of the Crown in Canada's legal system.