Ask a Constitutional Expert
The Walrus|June 2021
What would it take to leave the monarchy?
DAVID SCHNEIDERMAN 
Ask a Constitutional Expert

THE QUESTION OF whether Canada has outgrown the monarchy has simmered on the political back burner for years. According to an online survey by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies, published in March, 53 percent of respondents considered the monarchy outdated but were divided on what could replace it. We asked David Schneiderman, a constitutional law expert, about the feasibility of removing the Queen as head of state and what the government might look like if that happened.

Could Canada decouple itself from the Crown? Yes, but it wouldn’t be easy. The real impediment to the abolition of the monarchy is the constitutional amending formula. When Canada patriated the constitution, in 1982,1 it adopted a set of conditions for making changes to it. For most amendments, you need seven out of ten provinces and the federal government to agree. But the Constitution Act lays out a series of areas that require unanimity. Those include making changes to the office of the Queen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June 2021-Ausgabe von The Walrus.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June 2021-Ausgabe von The Walrus.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS THE WALRUSAlle anzeigen
MY GUILTY PLEASURE
The Walrus

MY GUILTY PLEASURE

I WAS AS SURPRISED as anyone when I became obsessed with comics again last year, at the advanced age of forty-five. As a kid, I loved reading G.I. Joe and The Amazing Spider-Man.

time-read
3 Minuten  |
July/August 2024
The Upside-Down Book
The Walrus

The Upside-Down Book

In her new novel, Rachel Cusk makes the case for becoming a stranger to yourself

time-read
7 Minuten  |
July/August 2024
Pick a Colour
The Walrus

Pick a Colour

BACK HERE, I can hear a group of women trickle in. Filling the floor with giggles and voices.

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
July/August 2024
Quebec's Crushing Immigration Policy
The Walrus

Quebec's Crushing Immigration Policy

Familial separation can have devastating consequences on mental health and productivity

time-read
6 Minuten  |
July/August 2024
The Briefcase
The Walrus

The Briefcase

What I learned about being a writer from trying to finish a dead man's book

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
July/August 2024
In the Footsteps of Migrants Who Never Made It
The Walrus

In the Footsteps of Migrants Who Never Made It

Thousands have died trying to cross into the US from Mexico. Each year, activists follow their harrowing trek

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
July/August 2024
Blood Language
The Walrus

Blood Language

Menstruation ties us to the land in ways we've all but forgotten

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
July/August 2024
Dream Machines
The Walrus

Dream Machines

The real threat with artificial intelligence is that we'll fall prey to its hype

time-read
10 Minuten  |
July/August 2024
Invisible Lives
The Walrus

Invisible Lives

Without immigration status, Canada's undocumented youth stay in the shadows

time-read
3 Minuten  |
JanFeb 2024
My Guilty Pleasure
The Walrus

My Guilty Pleasure

"The late nights are mine alone, and I'll spend them however I damn well please"

time-read
3 Minuten  |
JanFeb 2024