Tag Archives: Walter Bagehot

David Johnston on the Constitutional Relationship Between the Governor General and the Prime Minister

Posted on 2012/12/27 by J.W.J. Bowden

Governor General Johnston’s Remarks On 11 December 2012, Sandie Rinaldo interviewed Governor General David Johnston, who provided some good insights on the proper constitutional relationship between the Governor and Prime Minister under our system of Responsible Government.[1] Governor General David … Continue reading →

Posted in Consultations, Crown (Powers and Office), Responsible Government | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Peter Russell on the Prorogation-Coalition Controversy of 2008

Posted on 2012/06/25 by J.W.J. Bowden

Russell’s Errors of Interpretation on Prorogation Ontario News Watch uploaded an interview with Peter Russell on 25 June 2012, in which he displayed his unalloyed Forseyite interpretation of the reserve powers. Russell made several demonstrably incorrect assertions throughout the interview, … Continue reading →

Posted in Caretaker Convention & Government Formation, Coalition Government, Conferences and Speeches, Confidence Convention, Constitutional Conventions, Crown (Powers and Office), Formation of Governments, Governor's Discretion, Prime Minister's Powers, Prorogation, Reaffirmation of, Responsible Government, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Right-Wing Monarchists and Left-Wing Republicans: The Inevitable Partisan Politicization of the Crown in Canada?

Posted on 2011/12/30 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction Constitutional monarchies benefit from the separation between the Head of State and Head of Government: under responsible government, (what Paul Benoit considers “the doctrine of royal infallibility”[1]) Ministers of the Crown are responsible for acts of the Crown and … Continue reading →

Posted in Monarchism v Republicanism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

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

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