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.

No Discretion: On Royal Assent and the Governor General

Posted on 2011/12/12 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction Under our system of responsible government, the Sovereign or Governor General exercises his prerogative powers on the advice of the Crown-in-Council, and his constitutional powers relating to Parliament on the advice of the Prime Minister alone. Responsible government means … Continue reading →

Posted in Crown (Powers and Office), Governor's Discretion, Officialization of Convention, Royal Assent | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

Parliamentarians and National Security

Posted on 2011/12/11 by J.W.J. Bowden

My friend and co-author Nick MacDonald wrote “Parliamentarians and National Security”, for the Canadian Parliamentary Review. The Parliament of Canada has traditionally deferred to the government on matters relating to national security although parliamentarians have, on occasion, vied for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles and Books, Parliamentary Privilege, Reviews | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Speakership of the New Zealand House of Representatives

Posted on 2011/12/11 by J.W.J. Bowden

The Canadian Parliamentary Review has just published an article by the Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, Lockwood Smith, which he based on a speech that delivered in 2010. In “The Speakership: A New Zealand Perspective”, Smith reviews … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles and Books, Constitutional Conventions, Parliamentary Privilege, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Constitutional Scholarship or Political Activism? The Role of the Academy Following the Coalition-Prorogation Crisis of 2008

Posted on 2011/11/28 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction The line between academia and scholarship on the one hand and punditry and activism on the other has become increasingly blurred in Canada, especially in the wake of the coalition-prorogation crisis of December 2008. Recent works like Democratizing the … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles and Books, Crown (Powers and Office), Governor's Discretion, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Origins of Centralizing Executive Authority in the Prime Minister

Posted on 2011/11/27 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction The scholarly consensus on cabinet government in Canada argues that from Prime Minister Trudeau’s first government (1968 to 1979, the 20th Ministry) onward, the powers of the prime minister have become more centralized relative to both those of cabinet … Continue reading →

Posted in Crown (Powers and Office), Governor's Discretion, Officialization of Convention, Prime Minister's Powers, Prorogation | Tagged , , , , , | 17 Comments