Author Archives: J.W.J. Bowden

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About J.W.J. Bowden

My area of academic expertise lies in Canadian political institutions, especially the Crown, political executive, and conventions of Responsible Government; since 2011, I have made a valuable contribution to the scholarship by having been published and cited extensively. I’m also a contributing editor to the Dorchester Review and a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Parliamentary and Political Law.

On Writing Well

Posted on 2022/09/01 by J.W.J. Bowden

Pierre Poilievre released a video this week on how he would table a Plain Language Bill to force the civil service to write better and make what it publishes easier to understand. The official language of government is neither French … Continue reading →

Posted in Random Thoughts | 2 Comments

Readjusting Electoral Districts in Federations: Malapportionment vs Gerrymandering

Posted on 2022/08/31 by J.W.J. Bowden

The decennial readjustment of the number of MP per province and establishing the boundaries of electoral districts for the federal House of Commons began in October 2021 and February 2022, respectively. Canadians often like to congratulate themselves for having eliminated … Continue reading →

Posted in Electoral Boundaries Readjustments | 2 Comments

Parliamentary Decorum and How Canadians Perceive Britons

Posted on 2022/07/15 by J.W.J. Bowden

Earlier this year, I noted that the current Speaker of the British House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, does not enforce the Standing Orders properly and allows members to address one another in the second person unchecked, with entire flocks of … Continue reading →

Posted in Decorum, Parliament | Leave a comment

My Latest Article in the Journal of Parliamentary and Political Law: How Governor General Lord Aberdeen Reinforced the Caretaker Convention and Dismissed Prime Minister Tupper from Office

Posted on 2022/07/14 by J.W.J. Bowden

I first uncovered the correspondence in which Governor General Lord Aberdeen dismissed Prime Minister Sir Charles Tupper from office in July 1896 all the way back in 2012 while conducting research on something else. The documents have proven more fruitful … Continue reading →

Posted in Appointment of PM, Caretaker Convention & Government Formation, Confidence Convention, Constitutional Conventions, Crown (Powers and Office), Governor General, Governor's Discretion | 2 Comments

The Canada Day Specials

Posted on 2022/07/01 by J.W.J. Bowden

I’ve compiled a list of my articles and blogposts pertaining to the history of British North America, which you might find of interest this long weekend.

Posted in Dominion Day, History of British North America | 1 Comment