Women Who Woke up the Law: Inside the Cases that Changed Women's Rights in Canada

by Karin Wells

Behind every “landmark case” is a woman with a story.

“Who was the woman trying to convince a jury in a tiny courthouse in Nova Scotia that it was self-defense when she killed her partner; and who was the young woman walking into the palais de justice in small-town Quebec arguing that it was her choice, not his, to have an abortion? What was it that pushed these women on, even when the lawyers said it was hopeless?”

From the award-winning author of The Abortion Caravan and More Than a Footnote, Karin Wells once again pulls us into the lives—and this time, the legal trials—of a group of women integral to the advancement of women’s rights in Canada. Eliza Campbell, Chantale Daigle, Jeannette Corbiere Lavell—these Women Who Woke Up the Law often had no idea what they were facing in the courts, or the price they would have to pay. Some never saw justice themselves, but they left a legal legacy. Their bold determination is something we need now more than ever to guard the hard-won gains in women’s rights.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Canada

250 pages, Paperback

Published March 4, 2025

Reviews

[Kate | FocusOnYourShelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five Stars!

This book was an excellent introduction to important legal cases within women’s history. Wells provides a detailed overview of specific moments in history from abortion, sexual assault, domestic violence, divorce rights and more. One thing I really enjoyed about this book is that these stories come from all over Canada, and are not isolated to white women only,specifically those that would be considered a “perfect victim”. Women of all races and walks of life shape this book. Each story is unique and great detail is given by wells as to how these changed Canada, while also providing updates as to what happened those mentioned afterwards.

What’s unfortunate it how very few of these people I had actually heard of, in fact much to my disappointment I only knew who two of the women mentioned in here were. Even as a Canadian, most of my knowledge on women’s rights comes from the United States, and I am sure I am not alone in this sentiment. This makes Women Who Woke Up the Law an even more important book, as it shines a much needed light onto Canadian women and their impact on Canadian legislation.

Overall, highly recommend giving this a read!

Thank you again to Second Story Press for providing me a copy of this book.

[Lucy Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women Who Woke Up the Law by Karin Wells provides an important historical overview of ten legal cases that advanced women’s rights in Canada. Wells demonstrates that, for women, incremental change only took place after incredible sacrifice, advocacy and perseverance. The narratives included outline the prejudicial treatment of women with regard to voting, divorce, domestic violence, sexual abuse, custody of children, ownership of property, maternity benefits, abortion, racialized and sexual discrimination, and intersectionality. Above all, it is the courage and determination of many which is highlighted in this incredible history, amplifying the voices of those brave individuals whose advocacy reshaped women’s rights in Canada. This is a significant case history that belongs in every library.

[Enid Wray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fascinating look behind the curtain at women’s rights in Canada.

This is a perfect title for an introductory course on Women and the Law… or for anyone who wants to know more about how we got to where we are.

Always look forward to new titles from Karin Wells.

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not normally a fan of non-fiction books but I did enjoy this one! It was eye opening to see how so many basic rights we have now as women were formed. But on the flip side, it's very upsetting to see how recent some of them are!

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an exploration of 10 groundbreaking legal battles led by Canadian women that changed life for women and often, the law itself. It brings us behind the scenes of ten big legal battles led by everyday women who stood up to unfair systems and pushed for justice, even when the odds were totally against them:

* Eliza Campbell (divorce law) - wrongly accused of adultery in the 1880s, she fought for her reputation and alimony and her struggles prompted early reforms in divorce rights
* The Famous Five - in 1929, challenged the idea that only men were “persons” under the law and won
* Florence Murdoch (property rights) - an Alberta ranch wife whose decades of labor went unrecognized until her fight brought attention to women's entitlement to shared property
* Jane Doe (sexual assault ["No Means No"]) - in 1999, a consent ruling that defined clear boundaries around marital and extramarital sexual violence
* Stella Bliss (maternity benefits) - her pursuit of unemployment insurance during maternity leave helped define equal treatment
* Jeannette Corbiere Lavell and Indian Status Laws - she challenged the discrimination that stripped Indigenous women of their status when marrying non‑status men
* Chantale Daigle (abortion rights) - in Quebec in the 1980s, she fought in court for her right to choose abortion
* Jane Hurshman (domestic violence and homicide in self‑defense) - her killing of her abusive partner brought about legal protections for battered women
* Viola Desmond and Rachael Baylis (racial justice) - these Black women’s legal battles brought attention to discrimination
* NDAs and power - examines legal conflicts over non‑disclosure agreements and the right to one’s own narrative as it pertains to Jan Wong, Kaarina Pakka, Peter Nygård and others

I thought this topic would be interesting and it was. Some of these cases I'd heard of (like Jane Hurshman and Viola Desmond, for example) while others were new to me. I was expecting it to be dry and dull but it wasn't. There was just enough information and when/if I wanted more, I Googled. It's obvious the author did a great deal of research. It's an excellent book for women to read and thank those who came before us for all they did. As a head's up, there is swearing and descriptions of violence.

Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2025/06...

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women Who Woke Up the Law is completely inspiring and so accessible that even those like myself who know absolutely nothing about Canadian law easily understand it. The stories shared were real, they were raw, and there was rarely fairy tale endings as most women have come accustomed to when it comes to gender equality in this world.

I would highly recommend this to any human being regardless of their gender. To understand where women have come from is the beginning of understanding how much farther we have to go. It’s so important to get that, regardless of what you identify as.

I cannot wait to read her other books. A fire has lit up inside me and after reading is, I feel so empowered to begin questioning our existing status and maybe even try to push to boundaries a little more.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and more!!!

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required reading for every young woman in Canada! An eye opening reveal of how short lived women's rights are. Frightening really, to read the disparaging comments by judges, as these young women stood up to fight for rights, which now, seem so sensible.
We see women move from chattels to people under the law. Or how long term physical and verbal spousal abuse became a legal defence in a shocking case in Nova Scotia and changed the law. Or a woman fighting for her maternity benefits, and though she was not successful, the case eventually changed the law.
Over and over, ordinary women, working with young, in many cases unskilled lawyers, stood up and forged a way forward for other women and for laws to change.
We must hold fast to our rights and not allow what has happened south of Canada to erode what has been hard fought.

[Lindasp · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book highlighting the brave women who came before us, battled in courts (some cases went on for years) and who helped give us the freedoms we have now. Some of these freedoms were 'won' many years ago (e.g. the right to vote) and some were much battled in courts and won only a short time ago ( abortion rights, sexual discrimination, rights of Indigenous women marrying and losing their status in the tribe, etc.)
It was shocking that women even had to go to court to win a decision to be declared a 'person' with rights and how long it took for women to win their rights as they battled with the male judges in courts who had prejudiced feelings about women.
These women make me feel lucky to be living now! Thank you!

[Addy VB · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredibly eye opening to how recent in world history our basic rights as women came into play and how. These are such important cases that everyone should be aware of. This book made them very easy to understand as someone who does not have a legal background. I couldn’t put it down, highly recommend.

[Sarah Boyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderful and easy to read for anyone wanting an introductory into the legal history of women's rights in Canada. This book brings these cases to life with really stories and real people making, maybe otherwise tedious, topics an incredibly enjoyable read! Highly recommend!

[Schuiling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really really enjoyed this book. Learned so much. I did feel like each story could of been a bit shorter, seemed to drag on a bit. But a very important topic. I want to buy this book to be able to highlight.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Paige Conrad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about Canadian women who helped changed laws in Canada that we take for granted.

[Colleen Cavanaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Learned lots about how women have and still continue to struggle in many situations.

[Andrea Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oddly enough, I found this at a local children's bookstore.

[Lori Bayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read to remind us of the power of women's voices.

[Amanda Borys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I got past Chapter 2, with the horrible so-called Famous Four, this was a very good book. It was very interesting the various cases. Though I think the most disturbing element of this book is how recent most of these cases were.