Dropping the writ
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
