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.

Parliamentary Oaths of Allegiance in the Westminster System

Posted on 2011/10/23 by J.W.J. Bowden

In Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, the MP must take the oath of allegiance in order to take his or her seat in the House and gain the emoluments of the office. I will list the oaths and briefly enumerate … Continue reading →

Posted in Crown (Powers and Office), Loyal Opposition, Oaths of Allegiance, Parliamentary Privilege | 15 Comments

The Manual of Official Procedure of the Government of Canada

Posted on 2011/10/18 by J.W.J. Bowden

Three consecutive minority parliaments from 2004 to 2011 renewed interest in the creation of a cabinet manual describing the unwritten rules, or constitutional conventions, that underpin Westminster parliamentarism. The United Kingdom just established its Draft Cabinet Manual in 2010, with … Continue reading →

Posted in Officialization of Convention | 14 Comments

The History of Senate Reform, 1867 to 1913

Posted on 2011/10/13 by J.W.J. Bowden

I reviewed the political philosophical debate on the merits of the elective versus appointive upper house, and the elective Legislative Council in the earlier post. We’re all generally familiar with the modern proposals for Senate Reform (post-1980), essentially the “Triple-E … Continue reading →

Posted in Responsible Government, Senate Reform | 4 Comments

Paul Dewar Dodged My Question on Section 52 and Over-Representation of Quebec

Posted on 2011/10/12 by J.W.J. Bowden

The Canadian Study of Parliament Group held its fall business seminar earlier today on the “Democratic Reform Agenda“, and the second panel discussion featured Professor of Law and former Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs of Quebec, Benoit Pelletier; former Liberal cabinet … Continue reading →

Posted in Electoral Boundaries Readjustments | 7 Comments

From Leader to Laggard in Elective Upper Houses: Canada’s Elective Legislative Council, 1856-1867

Posted on 2011/10/11 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction Most Canadians are probably unaware that for a brief period in our history, the upper house in the United Province of Canada (called a Legislative Council) was making the transition from an appointive chamber to an elective one, between … Continue reading →

Posted in Responsible Government, Senate Reform, Separation of Powers | 4 Comments