Dropping the writ is the informal term for a procedure in some parliamentary government systems, where the head of government, that is the prime minister, premier or chief minister as the case may be, goes to the head of state and formally advises them to dissolve parliament. By convention, the head of state grants the request and issues a writ of election for a new parliament. A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modelled after that of the United Kingdom. ... A form of government is a colloquial term that refers to the set of political institutions by which a state is organized in order to exert its powers over a political community. ... The Head of Government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. ... A prime minister is the most senior minister of a cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... A premier is an executive official of government. ... A Chief Minister is the elected Head of Government of a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British overseas territory that has attained self-government. ... Queen Elizabeth II, is the Head of State of 16 countries including: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand and the Bahamas, as well as crown colonies and overseas territories of the United Kingdom. ... In parliamentary systems, a dissolution of parliament is the dispersal of a legislature at the call of an election. ... A constitutional convention is an informal and uncodified procedural agreement that is followed by the institutions of a state. ... A writ of election is a writ issued by the government ordering the holding of a special election for a governmental office. ...

The head of state technically has the right to refuse the request, in which case the prime minister is required by convention or statute to resign. For example, in the case of a minority government, the head of state can deny the request for dissolution and ask the leader of another parliamentary party to form a government. In some cases, such as with the President of Ireland, there are specific limitations on when a head of state can refuse this request. Even under these circumstances, this right is rarely exercised, as it always precipitates a constitutional crisis (see, for example, the King-Byng Affair). An argument can be made that the right of a head of state to refuse a dissolution has become a lapsed power. Official Seal of the President of Ireland Mary McAleese, the current President of Ireland. ... A constitutional crisis is a severe breakdown in the smooth operation of government. ... Mackenzie King requested a dissolution of Parliament. ... In politics and government, lapsed power is a term often used to describe a certain constitutionally-granted power of government that is no longer used, according to constitutional convention. ...

According to parliamentary law, the head of government must regularly call an election, but other than that, it is completely within their discretion when to drop the writ up to the time when the parliament has served its full term (though this rarely happens). At that point, an election must be called by issuing the writs. A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modelled after that of the United Kingdom. ...

In some states and territories of Australia, notably New South Wales, it is becoming the norm to allow the parliament to run full term before issuing the writs. Similarly, in New Zealand, it is the norm for parliament to run full term unless the prime minister cannot govern or feels s/he must bring an important issue before the nation. The states and territories of Australia make up the Commonwealth of Australia under a federal system of government. ... Capital Sydney Government Const. ...

Opposition parties can bring down the government by passing a motion of no confidence, in which the prime minister is required by convention or specific law to either drop the writ or resign; parliaments do not have the right to force the prime minister to drop the writ. A motion of no confidence, also called a motion of non-confidence, a censure motion, a no-confidence motion, or simply a confidence motion, is a parliamentary motion traditionally put before a parliament by the opposition in the hope of defeating or embarrassing a government. ...