On this day in 1929, a court in London that served then as the highest appeals court for Canada declared women to come within the definition of “persons” in Canada’s basic law. This meant they could qualify for appointment to the national Senate.
Read more about the history behind this holiday: A Tree Grows in Canada (NY Times)
Conservatives Don’t Want Feminist Judicial Nominee (Daily Beast)
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ginsburg has said her career as a women’s activist would “probably disqualify” her for confirmation to the bench if she were nominated for the Supreme Court today.
Obama has now nominated women’s-rights attorney Georgetown Law Professor Nina Pillard, and conservatives, according to ThinkProgress, are concerned Pillard’s career path will alter the makeup and effectiveness of the justices.