Quote Originally Posted by Nathan View Post
Many Commonwealth countries have a system of government called Constitutional Monarchy and are governed by the Westminster Parliamentary system. The Commonwealth is a group of Countries that share a Monarch and who are tied together by their shared history as former subjects of the British Empire.

Aside from the fact that many residents of commonwealth countries feel a loyalty to the sovereign, there are also more practical considerations for the continued association.

In a Westminster Constitutional Monarchy, the Monarch is the symbolic head of state and represents the executive branch of Government.

While in practice, the executive power is weilded by the Prime Minister, s/he is actually part of the legislative branch of government being the leader of the party with the most MPs elected tosit in a Parliament.

In Canada, the Queen is represented by a Vice-Roy in the form of The Governor General of Canada. The Vice Roy signs bills into law on behalf of the queen, reads the Speech from the Throne prior to a budget etc...

The Commonwealth participates in summits and events such as the Commonwealth games, and while it has traditionally been a vehicle for trade and preferred status for immigration, in recent years, the associations have become more symbolic.

That said, the courts of Commonwealth jurisdictions that use common law have been known to refer to legal precedent from other commonwealth jurisdictions in the absence of a domestic legal precedent. This common law is often admissible but it typically does not hold the same weight as a domestic precedent.

If a country wanted to cut ties with the commonwealth, it would involve replacing the head of state with some form of elected president. This would mean an overhaul from a parliamentary system to a republican one. Many commonwealth residents feel that aside from nationalist sentiment, there is little reason to believe that a country would be better governed by such a move but that opening up such a "can of worms" would be divisive and ultimately quite expensive.

Incidentally, you refer to HRM Queen Elizabeth II as the "Queen of England". This is just one of her titles. When in Canada, she is referred to as the "Queen of Canada". She is also the Queen of Scotland, the Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, The Queen of New Zealand, The Queen of Australia, the Queen of Bermuda etc...

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Wow! Great info. I had no idea...thanks.