Constance Backhouse

Constance Backhouse has done a comprehensive review of legal cases dealing with racism in Canada between 1900 and 1950. She has also done a wonderful job in presenting her findings in this book. The man text of the book is written for general readers and the stories are told in a way that is engaging and explains well the legal issues involved. The notes section, which is almost as long as the main text, provides a deeper analysis of the law itself, which would be of interest to lawyers and show more jurists.

The book examines six cases in detail. Three touch on racism against Aboriginal peoples; one on anti-Chinese racism and two deal with Black Canadians. Each gives us a portrait of the people involved as well as the laws being challenged. Well worth reading. show less

In 1922, Elizabeth Bethune Campbell came across what she thought was an unsigned copy of her mother's will. This would be the beginning of a legal battle that grew to such a point that in 1930 she became the first woman to appear before the Privy Council in London arguing her own case. And winning.

An intriguing case in legal history, this book reprints Mrs. Campbell's self-published work about her case, Where Angels Fear to Tread, with a prologue and epilogue by the Backhouse sisters (one a show more lawyer and the other a doctorate in law history). The prologue and epilogue provide excellent context for Mrs. Campbell's story and also discuss some of the major questions that rise out of the case. Mrs. Campbell's work itself is an engaging read as she chronicles her case from court to court in Ontario until taking her appeal to the Privy Council where she was ultimately victorious. Heavily annotated with in-depth end notes (be warned, there will be a lot of flipping to the back with this book) that add significant insights to the text, I found this to be a fascinating piece of Canadian history. show less

Reviewed here.