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.

A Day in the Life of the 32nd Parliament

Posted on 2021/09/17 by J.W.J. Bowden

The first televised proceedings of the House of Commons of Canada began in 1977, fully two years before C-SPAN began televising the United States House of Representatives. Our equivalent of C-SPAN, CPAC, has now uploaded online all the video footage … Continue reading →

Posted in Decorum, Parliament, Traditions and History | 2 Comments

The Caretaker Convention in Newfoundland & Labrador in 2019

Posted on 2021/09/01 by J.W.J. Bowden

The Journal of Parliamentary and Political Law published my and Lyle Skinner’s piece on recent developments concerning the Caretaker Convention in Newfoundland & Labrador, including the Executive Council Office’s Guidelines from 2019 (similar to those of PCO in Ottawa) and … Continue reading →

Posted in Caretaker Convention & Government Formation | Leave a comment

Extreme Risk Aversion: The Caretaker Convention in 2021

Posted on 2021/08/27 by J.W.J. Bowden

Prime Minister Trudeau advised Governor General Mary Simon to dissolve the 43rd Parliament of Canada and issue the writs of election on 15 August 2021. The Privy Council Office marked the occasion by releasing another edition of its Guidelines on … Continue reading →

Posted in Caretaker Convention & Government Formation | 4 Comments

Recalling a Parliament Already Dissolved? Not in Canada: the 43rd Parliament Is Dead

Posted on 2021/08/19 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction On 15 August 2021, Prime Minister Boris Johnson requested that the Speaker recall the House of Commons from its summer recess early so that MPs could hold an emergency debate over the fallout of the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, … Continue reading →

Posted in Comparative, Crown (Powers and Office), Dissolution, Eastminster System | 4 Comments

Why Justin Trudeau’s Snap Election in 2021 Does Not Break the Fixed-Date Elections Law

Posted on 2021/08/19 by J.W.J. Bowden

The Signs Pointing to a Snap Election, June to August 2021 Since at least mid-June, the media had treated an early election as a fait accompli, and politicians and political parties began acting as if the writ had already begun … Continue reading →

Posted in Crown (Powers and Office), Dissolution, Fixed-Date Elections | 3 Comments