From Loyal Dominion to New Republic: Which Realm Will Get There First?

Abstract

In Canada, Australia and New Zealand -all of whom were once loyal dominions in an indivisible British Empire -what might be the chances of successful moves to ditch archaic feudal symbols and create new republican institutions and symbols as this 21 st century unfolds? When the Crown research project began I thought New Zealand would not be at the forefront of constitutional change towards a republican constitution. This paper identifies some of the reasons for that view, including the special relationships between Māori and the Crown. It identifies the significant legal and political difficulties facing those seeking to achieve constitutional reform on the Queen's position as the head of state in either Australia or Canada. It concludes, therefore, that New Zealand could be at the forefront of Commonwealth post-colonial settler states transitioning to a new constitutional order. The paper also argues for the importance of abolishing royal prerogative powers, and better defining government's accountability for exercises of state power, even if moves towards a republic are not imminent.

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“…Accordingly, the category “Western” included any country in Western Europe as well as the United States and Canada. New Zealand was also categorized as “Western” because its historical ties as a dominion under the former British Empire largely continue to inform its systems of governance and economics as well as its legal and political institutions (Williams, 2018). All other countries were coded as non-Western, including countries in the following regions: Eastern Europe, Western Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, and Sub-Saharan Africa.…”