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.

Doug Ford’s Gibberish on Gerrymandering: Why Ontario Needs Its Own Separate Provincial Electoral Boundaries Commission

Posted on 2024/08/11 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction: Readjusting Federal Electoral Boundaries Section 51(1) of the Constitution Act, 1867 requires that the number of MPs per province be recalculated after each decennial census and, consequently, that the electoral boundaries of ridings within each province be readjusted every ten years. … Continue reading →

Posted in Electoral Boundaries Readjustments | 1 Comment

The Commonwealth Realms Diverge: Whether the Prime Minister Determines the Duration of the Ministry or Not

Posted on 2024/07/10 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction Britons went to the polls on 4 July 2024 and ended up giving Labour a massive majority of 411 out of 650 MPs. By the next morning, outgoing Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had already tendered his resignation to … Continue reading →

Posted in Appointment of PM, Caretaker Convention & Government Formation, Commonwealth Realms, Comparative, Constitutional Conventions, Crown (Powers and Office) | Leave a comment

Replacing the Prime Minister During An Election: A Forgotten Canadian Precedent

Posted on 2024/06/11 by J.W.J. Bowden

 Amusing Historical Parallels Voters feel exhausted after years of endless constitutional wrangling and a divisive referendum on the country`s new constitutional arrangements, and they further resent that the political class bogged itself down in this constitutional quagmire and all but … Continue reading →

Posted in Appointment of PM, Caretaker Convention & Government Formation, Commonwealth Realms, Comparative, Constitutional Conventions, Crown (Powers and Office), Electing & Ousting Party Leaders, Party Discipline | 5 Comments

My Latest Article on Federal Electoral Redistribution in the Canadian Parliamentary Review

Posted on 2024/05/20 by J.W.J. Bowden

  The Canadian Parliamentary Review recently published my article “Adjusting Federal Electoral Boundaries in Canada: Redistribution 2022” as part of a special issue on federal electoral redistribution based on the presentations that my colleagues and I gave to the Canadian … Continue reading →

Posted in Electoral Boundaries Readjustments, My Published Works | 2 Comments

Beyond the Writ: The Expansion of the Caretaker Convention in the 21st Century Published in the Saskatchewan Law Review

Posted on 2024/05/13 by J.W.J. Bowden

  The Saskatchewan Law Review just published my and David Brock’s article “Beyond the Writ: The Expansion of the Caretaker Convention in the 21st Century,” presumably available at fine law school libraries everywhere. Here we chronicle and try to explain … Continue reading →

Posted in Caretaker Convention & Government Formation, Constitutional Conventions, My Published Works | 1 Comment