Author Archives: J.W.J. Bowden

Unknown's avatar

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.

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

Putting the Personal above the Factual: Errol Mendes on Early Dissolution and Fixed-Date Election Laws in 2008 vs in 2021

Posted on 2021/08/14 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction I have chronicled several examples of scholarly inconsistency between how some academics cover and write about Harper versus Trudeau, The four most notable examples come down to the following: tactical prorogation, contempt of parliament, the caretaker convention and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Comparative, Confirmation Voting, Constructive Non-Confidence, Crown (Powers and Office), Dissolution, Fixed-Date Elections, Reform | 1 Comment

Peter H. Russell Now Agrees With Me: What Happens When a Governor General Rejects a Prime Minister’s Constitutional Advice

Posted on 2021/08/13 by J.W.J. Bowden

For the last eight years or so, I have stated in numerous blog posts, presentations at conferences, my thesis, and several journal articles the basic precepts of the established constitutional position of the governors and prime ministers under Responsible Government. … Continue reading →

Posted in Crown (Powers and Office), Dissolution, Governor's Discretion, Prorogation | 3 Comments

Quebec’s Irredentist Designs on Labrador

Posted on 2021/07/21 by J.W.J. Bowden

Some of you might be interested in my piece in the latest issue of the Dorchester Review on the Labrador Boundary Dispute, Quebec’s continuing irredentist designs on the territory, and the story of the most recent constitutional amendment passed under … Continue reading →

Posted in History of British North America | 3 Comments