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.

From Dominion Day to Canada Day: From Historical Significance To Banality

Posted on 2014/07/02 by J.W.J. Bowden

I have since turned this blog entry into an article in The Dorchester Review, which you can read here: Bowden (2015) 1951: The Death of the Dominion History of the “Dominion” of Canada The re-organization of three British North American Crown … Continue reading →

Posted in Dominion Day, History of British North America | 5 Comments

Lagassé and Bowden on the Crown as Corporation Sole and Royal Succession

Posted on 2014/04/04 by J.W.J. Bowden

Philippe Lagassé and I have written a short article on the Crown of Canada as a corporation sole and how this fundamental attribute of the Crown pertains to royal succession and section 41(a) of the Constitution Act, 1982. I’d like … Continue reading →

Posted in Corporation Sole, Crown (Powers and Office), Succession (Sovereign) | 6 Comments

The Ontario Young Liberals Blur the Line Between Satire and Genuineness

Posted on 2014/03/29 by J.W.J. Bowden

I hope that my regular readers won’t mind that this post presents a cultural critique rather than the sorts of subjects on which I typically write. Those of you who have watched House of Cards (either the British version or … Continue reading →

Posted in Humour, Political Parties | Leave a comment

Premier Marois Copies Prime Minister Harper: The Futility of Fixed-Date Elections Laws

Posted on 2014/03/05 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction Notwithstanding Quebec’s new fixed-date election law, Premier Pauline Marois of Quebec advised the Lieutenant Governor to dissolve the 40th Legislature on 5 March 2014, while the assembly was adjourned on recess and even though Marois’ single-party minority Parti Québécois … Continue reading →

Posted in Crown (Powers and Office), Dissolution, Fixed-Date Elections, Governor's Discretion, Prime Minister's Powers, Reform | 3 Comments

Michael Ignatieff’s Fire & Ashes: An Oath of Allegiance If Necessary, But Not Necessarily to the Queen

Posted on 2013/09/29 by J.W.J. Bowden

Ignatieff Reveals His Thoughts on the Oath of Allegiance and Canada’s Constitutional Monarchy In his new autobiography of his brief stint in Canadian politics, Fire and Ashes: Success and Failure in Politics, Michael Ignatieff couched his opposition to the parliamentarians’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Corporation Sole, Crown (Powers and Office), Succession (Sovereign) | 3 Comments