"Published with the assistance of the New Zealand Law Foundation"--Title page verso. Includes bibliographical references.
Contents:
1. The purpose of this book -- 2. Building the modern constitution -- Constitutional monarchy : key concepts -- 4. The Sovereign in Right of New Zealand : the institutional role -- 5. The Sovereign in Right of New Zealand : a personal touch -- 6. The Letters Pantent, the Governor-General and the realm of New Zealand -- 7. The office of Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief -- 8. The Governor-General in the Executive Branch -- 9. Finding and changing a prime minister -- 10. Guardian of the constitution? -- 11. The Governor-General in Parliament -- 12. The Governor-General and the administration of justice -- 13. The Crown as a party to the Treaty of Waitangi -- 14. Exercising the head of state role -- Afterword: Thinking about a republican constitution.
Summary:
"New Zealand is a democratic constitutional monarchy, one of Queen Elizabeth II's sixteen realms. This book provides a comprehensive account of how the Queen, the Governor-General and the Crown interact with our democratically-elected leaders under New Zealand's unwritten constitution. The authors explain how these islands in the South Pacific were first brought within Queen Victoria's dominions, the arrangements then made for their future government, and how those arrangements developed over time with the pressure for democracy and responsible government to become New Zealand's current constitution. They discuss the responsibilities of, and interactions between, the key office-holders: the Sovereign herself; her representative, the Governor-General; the impersonal and perpetual Crown, and the Prime Minister, other Ministers and Members of Parliament. All of them affect in some way the government which runs the country day to day. In an afterword, the authors examine some of the key issues to be considered should New Zealand become a republic"--Publisher's website.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.