The Persons Case

On 18 October 1929, John Sankey, England's reform-minded Lord Chancellor, ruled in the Persons case that women were eligible for appointment to Canada's Senate. Initiated by Edmonton judge Emily Murphy and four other activist women, the Persons case challenged the exclusion of women from Canada's upper house and the idea that the meaning of the constitution could not change with time. The Persons Case considers the case in its political and social context and examines the lives of the key players: Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, and the other members of the "famous five," the politicians who opposed the appointment of women, the lawyers who argued the case, and the judges who decided it. Robert J. Sharpe and Patricia I. McMahon examine the Persons case as a pivotal moment in the struggle for women's rights and as one of the most important constitutional decisions in Canadian history. Lord Sankey's decision overruled the Supreme Court of Canada's judgment that the courts could not depart from the original intent of the framers of Canada's constitution in 1867. Describing the constitution as a "living tree," the decision led to a reassessment of the nature of the constitution itself. After the Persons case, it could no longer be viewed as fixed and unalterable, but had to be treated as a document that, in the words of Sankey, was in "a continuous process of evolution." The Persons Case is a comprehensive study of this important event, examining the case itself, the ruling of the Privy Council, and the profound affect that it had on women's rights and the constitutional history of Canada.

On 18 October 1929, John Sankey, England's reform-minded Lord Chancellor, ruled in the Persons case that women were eligible for appointment to Canada's Senate. Initiated by Edmonton judge Emily Murphy and four other activist women, the Persons case challenged the exclusion of women from Canada's upper house and the idea that the meaning of the constitution could not change with time. The Persons Case considers the case in its political and social context and examines the lives of the key players: Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, and the other members of the "famous five," the politicians who opposed the appointment of women, the lawyers who argued the case, and the judges who decided it. Robert J. Sharpe and Patricia I. McMahon examine the Persons case as a pivotal moment in the struggle for women's rights and as one of the most important constitutional decisions in Canadian history. Lord Sankey's decision overruled the Supreme Court of Canada's judgment that the courts could not depart from the original intent of the framers of Canada's constitution in 1867. Describing the constitution as a "living tree," the decision led to a reassessment of the nature of the constitution itself. After the Persons case, it could no longer be viewed as fixed and unalterable, but had to be treated as a document that, in the words of Sankey, was in "a continuous process of evolution." The Persons Case is a comprehensive study of this important event, examining the case itself, the ruling of the Privy Council, and the profound affect that it had on women's rights and the constitutional history of Canada.

Personhood is considered at once a sign of legal-political status and of socio-cultural agency, synonymous with the rational individual, subject, or citizen. Yet, in an era of life-extending technologies, genetic engineering, corporate social responsibility, and smart technology, the definition of the person is neither benign nor uncontested. Boundaries that previously worked to secure our place in the social order are blurring as never before. What does it mean, then, to be a person in the twenty-first century? In Impersonations, Sheryl N. Hamilton uses five different kinds of persons - corporations, women, clones, computers, and celebrities - to discuss the instability of the concept of personhood and to examine some of the ways in which broader social anxieties are expressed in these case studies. She suggests that our investment in personhood is greater now than it has been for years, and that our ongoing struggle to define the term is evident in law and popular culture. Using a cultural studies of law approach, the author examines important issues such as whether the person is a gender-neutral concept based on individual rights, the relationship between personhood and the body, and whether persons can be property. Impersonations is a highly original study that brings together legal, philosophical, and cultural expressions of personhood to enliven current debates about our place in the world.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1922 edition. Excerpt: ...The subterfuges they adopt to effect their purpose are very ingenious. In some cases Chinese seamen have been known to make temporary bootsocks of raw opium, others conceal it under their armpits, in their clothing, etc. By these methods they try to evade detection by H.M. Customs Officers and, if successful, they find a good and ready market amongst the Chinese residents. "The raw opium is then boiled in a copper saucepan, allowed to get cool, and when it sets it is prepared in small pills for internal application, and in packets for smoking. The pills have an effect similar to that of smoking. The drug is then surreptitiously sold and used in the East and West ends of London. The inveterate opium smoker can usually be detected by his extraordinary sallow complexion, dreamy appearance and want of vitality. "Opium smoking dens are usually arranged in upper rooms of the houses. The windows of such places are invariably covered in such a way as to prevent the fumes escaping into the street, obviously for the pur-pose of avoiding detection. These rooms are fitted out either with wide wooden shelves or beds upon which recline those desirous of taking an opium smoke. These smokes vary in price from 2/-to 5/-according to the value of the drug and the financial position of those desiring to indulge. "When the Defence of Realm.Act came into operation prohibiting opium smoking, etc., a number of these dens existed in 'Chinatown.' From this time until 1920 many prosecutions took place at the Thames Police Court and the offenders were fined, and in some cases imprisonment was imposed, but this did not deter the Chinamen a great deal, as when a fine was inflicted, it was at once paid and the 'Chink' continued...

DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "Sowing Seeds in Danny" by Nellie Letitia McClung. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

In 1929 women were declared 'persons' under the British North America Act. Seventy years later a similar move is afoot to establish constitutional personhood for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, and transgendered people.

In this comprehensive biography, Christine Mander depicts the life and times of Emily Murphy with a refreshing candor and vitality. A true Canadian heroine – pioneering feminism, writer (under the alias Janey Canuck), patriot, mother, anti-drug crusader, first woman magistrate of the British Empire and rebel – Emily Murphy defied conventional labels. To Hell with Women Magistrates, fulminated one court official on her appointment. Her greatest triumph came in 1929 when Lord Chancellor Sankey reversed the Canadian Supreme Court decision by ruling that women are persons under the constitution and therefore eligible for any political office. When Emily Murphy died in 1933, after a long battle with diabetes, her friend and fellow activist Nellie McClung remarked, Mrs. Murphy loved a fight and so far as I know, never turned her back on one.