Monthly Archives: June 2014

Prince Charles: Royal Activist?

Posted on June 29, 2014 by jasonloch

BBC Radio 4 has aired an interesting program to mark the 45th anniversary of Prince Charles’ investiture as Prince of Wales. Entitled “The Royal Activist,” it examines the extent to which he influences public policy, as well as the constitutional propriety … Continue reading →

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Should the Governor Have Vetoed Tim Carmody’s Appointment as QLD Chief Justice?

Posted on June 28, 2014 by jasonloch

I was telling a friend about the furor over Tim Carmody’s nomination as Chief Justice of Queensland, and he wanted to know why the Governor agreed to make such a controversial appointment. The answer is that, as the Queen’s representative, the Governor must … Continue reading →

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Should Lord Chancellors Be Lawyers Once More?

Posted on June 26, 2014 by jasonloch

In his testimony before the House of Lords Select Committee on the Constitution today, the President of the Supreme Court, Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, suggested that he and his colleagues would prefer a Lord Chancellor “who had the court system and … Continue reading →

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The Real Obstacle To Lords Reform

Posted on June 23, 2014 by jasonloch

The BBC has come up with a brief video on the subject of House of Lords reform. Although reporter Giles Dilnot provides a decent overview of the obstacles that stand in the way of Lords reform (inter-party disagreement, intra-party disagreement, lack of public interest, etc.), … Continue reading →

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Some Observations on the Draft Scottish Constitution

Posted on June 19, 2014 by jasonloch

The Scottish Government has unveiled their proposed Scottish Independence Bill, which will serve as the country’s interim Constitution if Scots vote for independence in September. It’s definitely worth a read: in many ways, the document seems to be a conscious repudiation … Continue reading →

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Tony Blair And Impeachment

Posted on June 18, 2014 by jasonloch

Veteran Conservative MP Sir Peter Tapsell has suggested that Tony Blair should be impeached for allegedly misleading the House of Commons in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003. This might sound strange to an American audience, considering Blair left … Continue reading →

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The Parliament Acts And The EU Referendum Bill

Posted on June 17, 2014 by jasonloch

Pundits are once again chattering about the prospect of using the Parliament Acts to force the European Union (Referendum) Bill onto the statute book. The bill passed the Commons in the last session but died in the Lords when an alliance … Continue reading →

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A Few Words on Abdication

Posted on June 10, 2014 by jasonloch

It’s been reported that one of the reasons King Juan Carlos I chose to abdicate is that he didn’t want his son, Prince Felipe, to end up like Prince Charles. Naturally, this has triggered renewed debate in the media over … Continue reading →

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The State Opening Of Parliament Explained

Posted on June 4, 2014 by jasonloch

Today the Queen opened the final session of the 55th Parliament with the customary Speech from the Throne. This magnificent event, which is formally known as the ‘State Opening of Parliament,’ is absolutely chock full of pomp and circumstance. It’s a time … Continue reading →

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HS2 and the Church of England

Posted on June 2, 2014 by jasonloch

The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England made headlines when it petitioned the House of Commons against the High Speed Rail (London-West Midlands) Bill. The bill in question is pretty much what it says on the tin: it will facilitate the … Continue reading →

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