Category Archives: Crown (Powers and Office)

“I Had No Option”: How John Turner Became Pierre Trudeau’s Patronage Patsy in 1984

Posted on 2024/09/25 by J.W.J. Bowden

Pulling the Thread That Unravels the Tapestry  Like many interesting stories, this begins with a mistake and a clerical error. My colleague David Brock and I wrote an article for the Saskatchewan Law Review called “Beyond the Writ: The Expansion … Continue reading →

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

Northwest Territories Delays Its General Election to Mid-November

Posted on 2023/08/29 by J.W.J. Bowden

The Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories convened in Inuvik – above the latitudinal treeline and thus away from the fires – on 28 August, though most MLAs had logged on remotely via Zoom because the fires had forced many of … Continue reading →

Posted in By Efflux of Time, Consensus Government, Dissolution | Leave a comment

Consensus Government & Dissolving the Legislature in Northwest Territories

Posted on 2023/08/26 by J.W.J. Bowden

Wildfires Prompt a Special Sitting of the Legislative Assembly In August 2023, the skies turned an ominous orange over large swathes of the Northwest Territories as gargantuan wildfires gobbled up forests and inched ever closer toward the edge of Yellowknife, … Continue reading →

Posted in By Efflux of Time, Comparative, Confirmation Voting, Consensus Government, Constructive Non-Confidence, Dissolution, Individual vs Collective Ministerial Responsibility, Responsible Government | Leave a comment