Prorogation in Commonwealth Caribbean countries: an analysis of the relevance of the Miller decision

ABSTRACT

The judgment in the Miller case in the UK in September 2019 which overturned the decision of Prime Minister Boris Johnson to advise the Queen to prorogue Parliament is not applicable in the Commonwealth Caribbean. The view of Derek O’Brien in the Journal of Commonwealth and Comparative Politics in January 2022, which suggests otherwise, is challenged.

The article addresses the use of the prorogation of Parliament as a means of avoiding adverse political circumstances in the Commonwealth Caribbean by Prime Ministers and Presidents to ensure political survival in the following cases:

1. 1989 – Prime Minister Herbert Blaize in Grenada.

2. 2002 – Prime Minister Patrick Manning in Trinidad and Tobago.

3. 2012 – Prime Minister Tillman Thomas in Grenada.

4. 2014 – President Donald Ramotar in Guyana.

In the Commonwealth Caribbean, all of the constitutions are written, unlike the United Kingdom.

The constitutional dissimilarities on prorogation between the Westminster-Whitehall model in the Commonwealth Caribbean and the Westminster model in the UK will confirm the inapplicability of the Miller case to the Commonwealth Caribbean.

KEYWORDS:

• Prorogation
• Westminster model
• Westminster-Whitehall model
• The Miller judgment

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 O’Brien 2022, p. 27–49 @ 37–38.

2 R (on the application of Miller)(Appellant) v The Prime Minister (Respondent), Cherry and others (Respondents) v Advocate General for Scotland (Appellant)(Scotland) [2019] UKSC 41.

3 Ibid., para. 52.

4 O’Brien 2022, p. 30.

5 Barbados. Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 2021, s. 6.

6 The Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana Act 1980 (Act No. 2/1980), s. 111 (1).

7 [2019] UKSC 41 @ para. 46.

8 Horgan, Gerard W. (2014). Partisan-motivated prorogation and the Westminster model : a comparative perspective. Commonwealth and Comparative Politics 52:4, 455–472.

9 [2006] UKPC 22.

10 Ibid, para. 1.

11 Ibid.

12 Ibid. para. 7.

13 The Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Laws of Trinidad and Tobago, Ch. 1:01, Schedule, s.67.

14 [2019] UKSC 41 @ para. 3.

15 Ibid. para. 17.

16 Scoon, Paul. 2003. Survival for Service : My Experiences as Governor General of Grenada (Macmillan Caribbean, p. 257).

17 Ibid. 257–258.

18 Ibid., 258.

19 S.I. 1973/No. 2155, The Grenada Constitution Order 1973, Schedule 1, s. 51(2).

20 Ibid., s.52(1).

21 [2019] UKSC 41, para. 39.

22 [2006] UKPC 22, para. 4.

23 Ibid., para. 7.

24 The Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Laws of Trinidad and Tobago, Ch. 1:01, Schedule, s. 68(1).

25 The Commonwealth of Dominica Constitution Order 1978 (S.I. 1978 No. 1027), s. 54(1).

26 The Antigua and Barbuda Constitution Order 1981 (S.I. 1981 No. 1106), s. 60(1).

27 The Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana Act 1980 (Act No. 2/1980), s. 111.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hamid Ghany

Hamid Ghany Professor of Constitutional Affairs and Parliamentary Studies and Honorary Professor.