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.

Commons Committee on Canadian Heritage: Officialization of Protocol

Posted on 2012/05/06 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction The Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage (CHPC)met on Tuesday, 1 May 2012 in order to review national standards on protocol. The Committee called upon witnesses from the protocol sections of both the Department of Canadian Heritage (representing the … Continue reading →

Posted in Constitutional Conventions, Officialization of Convention | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

The Constitution Act, 1982 Includes More Than Just The Charter of Rights and Freedoms!

Posted on 2012/04/15 by J.W.J. Bowden

The Significance of Patriation After 50 years of intermittent effort, Canada finally achieved the patriation of its written constitution in 1982. “Patriation” meant primarily that the Parliament of Canada and the provincial legislatures as required could now amend its own … Continue reading →

Posted in Amending Formulas, Constitution (Written) | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Constitutional Issues in the Albertan Leaders’ Debate

Posted on 2012/04/13 by J.W.J. Bowden

This leadership debate dredged up several interesting constitutional issues and revealed a great deal of ignorance toward the principles of Responsible Government, the use of direct democracy (in this case, initiative-referendums and government-led referendums)in Canadian history, and the role of … Continue reading →

Posted in Constructive Non-Confidence, Direct Democracy, Fixed-Date Elections, Reform | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Neither the Queen Nor the Governor General Can Dissolve Parliament Unilaterally!

Posted on 2012/04/12 by J.W.J. Bowden

The Radicalism of the “Stop Harper” Lobby and of the High-Tory Monarchists Last year, Bridget DePape abused her position as a Senate Page and mounted a silent protest with her “Stop Harper” sign in the Senate chamber while the Governor … Continue reading →

Posted in Crown (Powers and Office), Dissolution, Governor's Discretion, Prime Minister's Powers, Reaffirmation of, Responsible Government, Whigs v Tories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Abolishing the Crown of Canada: Political Difficulty versus Constitutional Significance

Posted on 2012/03/29 by J.W.J. Bowden

Christopher Moore, a Canadian author and historian, runs a blog called “History News,” which used to appear on my blogroll until I reciprocated Moore’s gesture of deletion. Yesterday, he wrote “Abolishing the Monarchy – What, Like It’s Hard?” in response … Continue reading →

Posted in Monarchism v Republicanism | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments