ST. JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda — The Office of the Governor General has issued a public correction following an administrative error during the recent swearing-in ceremony for the country’s new Prime Minister and Attorney General.
In a formal press release, officials confirmed that an obsolete version of the Oath of Allegiance, which previously required loyalty to the British Crown, was mistakenly administered during the initial ceremonial proceedings. The error comes after the island nation implemented a landmark update to its oath requirements via the Oaths Act 2025, which officially entered into force on January 1, 2026. The legislative change was crafted to align the national oath with Antigua and Barbuda’s evolving constitutional identity as an independent sovereign state.
Under the updated legal requirements laid out in Schedule 1 of the new Act, all senior public officials must now swear or affirm a revised oath. The mandated text reads: “I, [Name], [swear by Almighty God] [solemnly and sincerely, declare and affirm] that I will faithfully bear true allegiance to the State of Antigua and Barbuda, its Constitution and laws.”
The Governor General’s Office noted that it has already updated official state records to reflect the legally required updated oath, correcting the administrative mistake. The office also emphasized its ongoing commitment to upholding the highest constitutional standards for all government proceedings, and expressed regret over any public confusion that resulted from the inadvertent error.