Category Archives: Dorchester Review

Barry K. Wilson’s Biography on Sir Mackenzie Bowell

Posted on 2021/12/24 by J.W.J. Bowden

If Canada maintained a list of mediocre prime ministers like the mediocre presidents parodied by The Simpsons, Sir Mackenzie Bowell would surely round out the top five along with Sir John Abbot, Sir John Thompson, Kim Campbell, and Joe Clark. … Continue reading →

Posted in Dorchester Review, History of British North America, Reviews | Leave a comment

Celebrate Dominion Day With The Latest Issue of The Dorchester Review

Posted on 2020/07/01 by J.W.J. Bowden

The latest issue of The Dorchester Review is now available online here once you subscribe here to receive physical copies of the magazine in the mail as well. I contributed an article to this issue on a lesser known aspect of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Dorchester Review, Electoral Reform, History of British North America, Reform | 1 Comment

1896: Tupper & Laurier Debate the Role of Governor General and Popular vs Parliamentary Sovereignty

Posted on 2020/04/08 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction   On 8 July 1896, Governor General Lord Aberdeen forced Prime Minister Sir Charles Tupper from office by refusing to promulgate his constitutional advice and sign off on Orders-in-Council to summon senators and make other appointments. Tupper sought to fill … Continue reading →

Posted in Appointment of PM, Caretaker Convention & Government Formation, Confidence Convention, Constitutional Conventions, Crown (Powers and Office), Dorchester Review, Formation of Governments, History of British North America | 3 Comments

Rejecting Constitutional Advice Equals Dismissal from Office: How Governor General Lord Aberdeen Forced Sir Charles Tupper’s Resignation in 1896

Posted on 2020/01/01 by J.W.J. Bowden

When I first embarked on this constitutional odyssey in 2011, I encountered scholars who propagated a novel constitutional interpretation with no basis in history, nor in the principles of Responsible Government itself, which I call “Reserve Powers Without Consequence”: the … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Caretaker Convention & Government Formation, Dorchester Review, Formation of Governments | 2 Comments

Extra-Constitutional Reform of the Senate of Canada

Posted on 2019/12/27 by J.W.J. Bowden

The latest issue of The Dorchester Review includes my piece on “The Founders’ Senate.” In this article, I outline how the Senate of Canada, and the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada, functioned as partisan legislative bodies from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Dorchester Review, History of British North America, Senate Reform | Leave a comment