How Does the British Empire function legally?

[Dari]

Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, are still tied to the British Empire. In fact, they still get representatives from the Queen. How does this work legally? Is the Queen just a ceremonial head or can she exert some real powers over these countries?

 

[Dissipate]

No, the queen herself doesn't even have much of any political power, even in Britain. I think the ties these countries have to Britain are mostly ceremonial though.

 

[kylebisme]

the legal term is "divine right."

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: Dari
Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, are still tied to the British Empire. In fact, they still get representatives from the Queen. How does this work legally? Is the Queen just a ceremonial head or can she exert some real powers over these countries?

The Queen has no real power in Britian.

This is more of a tradition, an alliance if you will, but the British govt. has no authority in what are soverign nations.

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: WinstonSmith

Originally posted by: Dari
Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, are still tied to the British Empire. In fact, they still get representatives from the Queen. How does this work legally? Is the Queen just a ceremonial head or can she exert some real powers over these countries?

The Queen has no real power in Britian.

This is more of a tradition, an alliance if you will, but the British govt. has no authority in what are soverign nations.

I meant the Prime Minister via the Queen. Oh well, I guess not.

 

[Strk]

They are a part of the commonwealth and according to a Canadian friend of mine, it was voted on whether she remain the head of state, however, she has no power over them. As far as Britain is concerned though, technically she has a small amount of powers, those powers are practiced by the Prime Minister though.(ie: technically the queen disolves parliament, but its only done at the "request" of the Prime Minister)

 

[Zeipher]

Canada's government is pretty much the same as Britian's, but the governer general is the queen's rep.

It's mainly just for show what the governer general does, and the Prime Minister just tells him/her where to sign.

 

[Martin]

For starters, there is no such thing as a British Empire anymore. The Commonwealth is just an assosiation of countries, no real power or anything. Even though she is the nominal head of state, she weilds no power whatsoever in Britain, and even less in commonwealth countries, where Governor Generals take over her duties (little more than presiding over parades and giving some feel good speeches).

So why is she still our official head of state? Well, no one really cares enough to do anything about it, since the queen is truly inconsequential.

 

[Strk]

Originally posted by: Zeipher
Canada's government is pretty much the same as Britian's, but the governer general is the queen's rep.

It's mainly just for show what the governer general does, and the Prime Minister just tells him/her where to sign.

There are a lot of governments designed similarly to Britain's.(such as Japan)