A push by three prospective Canadian citizens to strike down the portion of the citizenship oath which swears allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II was dismissed Friday by an Ontario court.

All three have lived in Canada for years and are eligible for citizenship, but argue they should not have to swear allegiance to the Queen as they oppose the monarchy on moral and religious grounds.

“The Charter guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of conscience, and the oath is a form of forced political speech,” said Dror Bar-Natan, who has lived in the country for 11 years.

Superior Court Justice Edward Morgan agreed the oath is compelled speech which infringes on the right to free expression. But he ruled that violation a reasonable limit which is justifiable in a democratic society, and thus constitutional.

“The Applicants’ problem is not so much that they take the oath seriously. Rather, their problem is that they take it literally,” Justice Morgan wrote.

In his ruling, Morgan said future citizens are not swearing personal allegiance to the monarch but pledging “an oath to a domestic institution that represents egalitarian governance and the rule of law.”

Peter Rosenthal, a lawyer for the applicants, called the decision “flawed.” He said the oath can be interpreted as swearing personal allegiance to the Queen.

“Many people would take the oath literally,” Rosenthal said. “The judge inappropriately failed to recognize that.”

Rosenthal said he would urge his clients to appeal.

The three permanent residents had also argued the oath violated their religious and equality rights. Justice Morgan disagreed on both counts.

Michael McAteer objected to the oath because his father fought in the Irish civil war for independence from Britain.

“Taking an oath of allegiance to a hereditary monarch who lives abroad would violate my conscience, be a betrayal of my republican heritage and impede my activities in support of ending the monarchy in Canada,” he told the court.

Justice Morgan said Canada has “a heritage of debate and dissent,” in which anti-monarchist views are perfectly valid, and not restricted by the oath.

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Bar-Natan said he wants to become a citizen to continue to contribute.

“I live in Canada, I work in Canada, I pay taxes in Canada,” said Bar-Natan, who teaches mathematics at the University of Toronto. “In practice I am a Canadian, in all but voting.”