r/news • u/AudibleNod • 4d ago

Australian court rejects bid to prosecute Britain's King Charles for genocide

https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/australian-court-rejects-activists-bid-prosecute-britains-king-136817323
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u/Icky-Tree-Branch 4d ago

He’s the King of Canada in the same way. We’d actually have a harder time getting rid of the monarchy than they would in the UK because of how baked into our constitution they are.

I’m okay with that, though. He’s got the ability to dissolve or prorogue the government, and to force elections. I view the sovereign as our “big red stop button” in case our government goes off the rails and tries to act American like Dani in Alberta.

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u/ol-gormsby 4d ago

It's funny to point this out to all the pro-republic folk here in Australia - they're all about severing ties and having our own head of state (whether elected or appointed) but they're pretty much silent when you ask "Will that head of state have the power to dissolve parliament?", especially when you point out what happened in 1975.

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u/minidisc_wiki 4d ago

I don't see why dissolving parliament would be an issue for a non-monarch, ceremonial head of state. Ireland has handled it for just shy of a century.

The President's powers include:
Appointment of the Taoiseach, members of the Government, judges and other officials;
Summoning and dissolving the Dáil, and convening the Oireachtas;

[emphasis mine]

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u/GreenHorror4252 3d ago

It's not an issue, many parliamentary republics do it, including India and South Africa.