Oaths Act allows MPs to affirm, confirming atheists can sit in the Commons
- When
- 1888
- Where
- Parliament of the United Kingdom; Chamber not specified in sources
- Episodes
- 2
The Oaths Act 1888 permitted the oath of allegiance required for Members of Parliament to be affirmed rather than sworn to God, enabling atheists to sit in the House of Commons. The legislation was enacted in 1888, with its third reading occurring in August, though the exact date of royal assent is not specified in the provided sources.
Episodes
- Enactment of the Oaths Act 1888
The Oaths Act 1888 allowed MPs to affirm oaths instead of swearing to God, confirming atheists could sit in the Commons.
- Third Reading of the Oaths Bill
The Oaths Bill underwent its third reading on 9 August 1888, though the chamber is not specified in the sources.
Background and detail
Background. The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, consisting of elected members known as MPs. The Oaths Act 1888 was an act of Parliament providing that all required oaths, including the oath of allegiance taken to the Sovereign, could be solemnly affirmed rather than sworn to God. This provision confirmed the ability of atheists to sit in the House of Commons.
Legislative Process. The legislative process for the Oaths Bill involved readings recorded by Hansard, with a second reading on 14 March 1888 and a third reading on 9 August 1888; the sources do not specify the chamber in which these readings took place. The Act was subsequently repealed in 1978 by the Oaths Act 1978, which came into force on 30 June 1978.
Sources
- Oaths Act 1888 Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-22
- House of Commons of the United Kingdom Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-27
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.