Justice Bertha Wilson: One Woman’s Difference (Law and Society)

Bertha Wilson’s appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada in 1982 capped off a career of firsts. Wilson had been the first woman lawyer and partner at a prominent Toronto law firm and the first woman appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal. Her career and passing in 2007 have provoked reflection on her contributions to Canadian society and the question, what difference do women judges make? Justice Bertha Wilson examines Wilson’s career through three distinct frames – foundations, controversy, and reflections – and a wide range of feminist perspectives. Taken together, these provocative essays paint a nuanced portrait of a complex, controversial woman who made a deep impression on the Canadian legal landscape.