The Famous Five
Emily Murphy, Irene Parlby, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney and Henrietta Edwards were five Canadian activists who advocated in various ways for women and children. Perhaps they’re most remembered for their fight to achieve political equality, to have women legally considered persons so they could be appointed to the Senate.
In 1927, the five women created and filed a petition to ask the Supreme Court of Canada for an answer to the following question: “Does the word ‘Persons’ in Section 24 of the British North America Act, 1867, include female persons?” After 8 months, the unanimous decision was rendered. The last line of the judgement reads, “Understood to mean ‘Are women eligible for appointment to the Senate of Canada,’ the question is answered in the negative.”
Fortunately, the Privy Council overturned the decision.
This judgement was overturned by the British Judicial Committee of the Privy Council on October 18, 1929. This case came to be known as the “Persons Case“.