Book Review - Two Firsts: Bertha Wilson and Claire L’Heureux-Dubé at the Supreme Court of Canada by Constance Backhouse

I loved Professor Backhouse’s biography of Justice L’Heureux-Dubé, so when I saw her book Two Firsts: Bertha Wilson and Claire L’Heureux-Dubé at the Supreme Court of Canada I knew I would enjoy it as well.  

Two Firsts is a lot shorter than the 1000-page biography of Justice L’Heureux-Dubé and much of Two Firsts that discusses L’Heureux-Dubé’s life and career was already covered in the biography. However, what I enjoyed about this new book was the insight into Justice Wilson’s career and rise to the top court and how it compared/contrasted with Justice L’Heureux-Dubé’s.  

Professor Backhouse eloquently tells the story of these two trailblazing women, juxtaposing their personal histories and career progressions. Wilson was Scottish born, married to a church minister, and was a research lawyer at a large corporate law firm in Toronto before being appointed to the bench. She was described by those who knew her as a “stoic Scot” who “stuck to her work”. While L’Heureux-Dubé, a Quebecoise who practiced family law, was described as having a “reputation as a femme fatale, whose flamboyance dominated every room she entered”.[1]

While these women had different personal and professional lives, both were subjected to similar sexism and discrimination that arose due to their position as the “firsts”. They were isolated, left out, and “enveloped in a chilly climate that signalled disrespect." Often their response was to downplay or ignore what was going on.