A trailblazing scholar whose work has transformed understandings of gender, race, and justice in Canada, Professor Backhouse is internationally renowned for landmark books such as Petticoats and Prejudice: Women and Law in Nineteenth-Century Canada and Colour-Coded: A Legal History of Racism in Canada, 1900-1950, both foundational texts in feminist legal history and the legal history of racism. Her scholarship has shaped generations of researchers and remains essential reading in law and history classrooms across the country.
Professor Backhouse’s career is marked not only by extraordinary academic achievement – including election to the Royal Society of Canada, the Order of Canada, and the Order of Ontario – but also by her deep commitment to mentoring, community-building, and public service. Through her teaching, collaborative projects, and long-standing work addressing human rights abuses, she has strengthened the field of legal history in Canada and beyond.
The American Society for Legal History reserves Honorary Fellowships for scholars whose contributions have had a profound impact on the discipline and on the communities that sustain it. Professor Backhouse’s election recognizes her lifelong dedication to advancing social justice, expanding the boundaries of legal history, and supporting new generations of scholars.
Congratulations to Professor Backhouse on this exceptional and well-deserved honour!