diff --git a/cppbugs/mcmc.arma.extensions.hpp b/cppbugs/mcmc.arma.extensions.hpp
index 565646f..0c02361 100644
--- a/cppbugs/mcmc.arma.extensions.hpp
+++ b/cppbugs/mcmc.arma.extensions.hpp
@@ -205,17 +205,17 @@ namespace arma {
     return eOp<T1, eop_scalar_times>(X.get_ref(),k);  // NOTE: order is swapped
   }
 
-  const double schur(const int x, const double y) { return x * y; }
-  const double schur(const double x, const int y) { return x * y; }
-  const double schur(const double& x, const double& y) { return x * y; }
-  const double schur(const int& x, const int& y) { return x * y; }
+  double schur(const int x, const double y) { return x * y; }
+  double schur(const double x, const int y) { return x * y; }
+  double schur(const double& x, const double& y) { return x * y; }
+  double schur(const int& x, const int& y) { return x * y; }
 
   // insert an 'any' function for bools into the arma namespace
-  const bool any(const bool x) {
+  bool any(const bool x) {
     return x;
   }
 
-  const bool vectorise(bool x) {
+  bool vectorise(bool x) {
     return x;
   }
 } // namespace arma
diff --git a/cppbugs/mcmc.model.hpp b/cppbugs/mcmc.model.hpp
index b0bbbd2..25fdfc5 100644
--- a/cppbugs/mcmc.model.hpp
+++ b/cppbugs/mcmc.model.hpp
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ namespace cppbugs {
       return bad_logp(value) || log(rng_.uniform()) > (value - old_logp) ? true : false;
     }
 
-    const double logp() const {
+    double logp() const {
       double ans(0);
       for(auto node : stochastic_nodes) {
         ans += node->loglik();
diff --git a/cppbugs/mcmc.stochastic.1p.family.hpp b/cppbugs/mcmc.stochastic.1p.family.hpp
index 431e80b..b685c48 100644
--- a/cppbugs/mcmc.stochastic.1p.family.hpp
+++ b/cppbugs/mcmc.stochastic.1p.family.hpp
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ namespace cppbugs {
     ~Stochastic1p() {
       if(destory_p1_) { delete &p1_; }
     }
-    const double loglik() const { return LOGLIKFUN(DynamicStochastic<T>::value,p1_); }
+    double loglik() const { return LOGLIKFUN(DynamicStochastic<T>::value,p1_); }
   };
 
   template<typename T, typename U, double LOGLIKFUN(const T&, const U&)>
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ namespace cppbugs {
     ~ObservedStochastic1p() {
       if(destory_p1_) { delete &p1_; }
     }
-    const double loglik() const { return LOGLIKFUN(Observed<T>::value,p1_); }
+    double loglik() const { return LOGLIKFUN(Observed<T>::value,p1_); }
   };
 
 } // namespace cppbugs
diff --git a/cppbugs/mcmc.stochastic.2p.family.hpp b/cppbugs/mcmc.stochastic.2p.family.hpp
index c253831..8e578b3 100644
--- a/cppbugs/mcmc.stochastic.2p.family.hpp
+++ b/cppbugs/mcmc.stochastic.2p.family.hpp
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ namespace cppbugs {
       if(destory_p1_) { delete &p1_; }
       if(destory_p2_) { delete &p2_; }
     }
-    const double loglik() const { return LOGLIKFUN(DynamicStochastic<T>::value,p1_,p2_); }
+    double loglik() const { return LOGLIKFUN(DynamicStochastic<T>::value,p1_,p2_); }
   };
 
   template<typename T, typename U, typename V, double LOGLIKFUN(const T&, const U&, const V&)>
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ namespace cppbugs {
       if(destory_p1_) { delete &p1_; }
       if(destory_p2_) { delete &p2_; }
     }
-    const double loglik() const { return LOGLIKFUN(Observed<T>::value,p1_,p2_); }
+    double loglik() const { return LOGLIKFUN(Observed<T>::value,p1_,p2_); }
   };
 
 } // namespace cppbugs
diff --git a/cppbugs/mcmc.stochastic.hpp b/cppbugs/mcmc.stochastic.hpp
index 6768e78..8b37937 100644
--- a/cppbugs/mcmc.stochastic.hpp
+++ b/cppbugs/mcmc.stochastic.hpp
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ namespace cppbugs {
   public:
     Stochastic() {}
     ~Stochastic() {}
-    virtual const double loglik() const = 0;
+    virtual double loglik() const = 0;
   };
 
 } // namespace cppbugs