معرفی
Constance Backhouse is a Distinguished University Professor and University Research Chair at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, internationally renowned for her feminist research on sex discrimination and the legal history of gender and race in Canada. Her scholarship examines systemic injustices within legal frameworks and marginalized communities' struggles for equity.
She earned her academic credentials from the University of Manitoba, Osgoode Hall Law School, and Harvard University, establishing a foundation for her pioneering work in Canadian legal historiography.
Professor Backhouse's research interrogates the intersection of law, gender, and race through critical feminist lenses. Her investigations into sexual assault legislation, racial discrimination jurisprudence, and institutional abuse reveal how legal systems perpetuate inequality while documenting resistance by women and racialized groups. This work bridges historical analysis with contemporary human rights advocacy, emphasizing lived experiences within legal processes.
Her exceptional contributions have been recognized through:
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2004)
- Killam Prize (2008) and Order of Canada appointment (2008)
- Willard Hurst Prize in Legal History (1992)
- Gustavus Myers Award for Human Rights (1993)
- Bora Laskin Human Rights Fellowship (1999)
- Law Society of Upper Canada Medal (1998) and Honorary Doctorate (2002)
- Joseph Brant Award for Multicultural History (2002)
- Augusta Stowe-Gullen Medal for Activism (1981)
- Trudeau Fellowship (2006)
- University of Ottawa Research and Teaching Awards
Professor Backhouse actively applies her expertise through adjudication of historical abuse compensation claims, including the Grandview Training School for Girls (1995-1998) and Aboriginal residential school cases nationwide. She serves as an expert witness on sexual violence against women and children while contributing to social justice through board memberships with the Claire L'Heureux-Dubé Fund and Women's Education and Research Foundation of Ontario.
