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Secularisation (Accession Declaration) Act 2017 1

MODEL
HOUSEOFCOMMONS

BILL 420

BILL
TO

Alter the form of the Declaration and Oath required to be made by the Sovereign on
Accession; and for connected purposes.

B E IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of
the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled,
and by the authority of the same, as follows:

PART I
REPEAL OF OLD OATHS

1 Coronation oath
The Coronation Oath Act 1688 (c. 6) shall be repealed.

2 Declaration of Protestant faith


(1) The Declaration of Protestant faith as set out in the Bill of Rights 1688 and amended
by the Accession Declaration Act 1910 shall no longer be required or taken by a
new Sovereign upon taking the throne.
(2) The Accession Declaration Act 1910 (c. 29) shall be repealed.
2 Secularisation (Accession Declaration) Act 2017

PART II
ACCESSION OATHS AND DECLARATIONS

3 Accession oath
(1) In the presence of the Accession council, formed of all Privy Counsellors, Great
Officers of State, Realm High Commissioners and senior civil servants, the new
Sovereign shall take the following oath, with the Lord President of the Council
administering the questions;
And if the Sovereign chooses to have a Coronation Ceremony, this shall be the Oath
administered by the Archbishop, however the Oath must also be administered
during the Accession council.
(2) The Oath shall be
President: Is your Majesty willing to take the Oath?
Sovereign: I am willing.
President: Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the Peoples of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, your other Realms
and Territories, and the Commonwealth, according to their respective laws
and customs?
Sovereign: I solemnly promise so to do.
President: Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be
executed in all your judgments?
Sovereign: I will.
President: Will you to the utmost of your power maintain and preserve liberty
and freedom of all peoples to exercise their faith and beliefs? Will you
maintain and preserve the democratic right, and right of self determination,
of all persons and realms you rule over? Will you respect and preserve the
sovereignty of Parliament and of the people, and not infringe or interfere in
the democratic process?
Sovereign: All this I promise to do.
Sovereign: The things which I have here before promised, I will perform and
keep.

4 Declaration to defend and protect religious freedom


The Declaration taken by the Sovereign in line with the Acts of Union 1707, inline
with maintaining and preserving the Church of Scotland, shall be changed to the
Declaration below, to reflect the new religious and constitutional order following
the Secularisation Act 2016
I, [INSERT TITLE], of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland and of my other Realms and Territories [King/Queen], do faithfully
promise and swear that I shall inviolably defend, maintain, protect and
preserve the religious rights of all persons and faiths, and ensure that no faith,
belief or lack thereof shall be infringed or subjugated by my Governments.
Secularisation (Accession Declaration) Act 2017 3

PART III
COMMENCEMENT AND SHORT TITLE

5 Commencement and short title


(1) This Act shall come into effect immediately after receiving Royal Assent.
(2) This Act may be cited as the Secularisation (Accession Declaration) Act 2017.
(3) This Act shall extend to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

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