Definition: The Persons Case was a constitutional movement for women to be appointed to the senate. This motion was made possible by a group of female activists for women’s rights known as the “Famous Five”. The Famous Five was made up of five women, Judge Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise Crummy McKinney and Irene Parlby. This movement began in 1927, when Canada was at the point where women had the ability to vote in elections (with the exception of Quebec), but were not represented in the senate. The Famous Five drew up a petition to be included as members of the senate. However, this was not passed, as the final ruling was that women did not qualify as “persons” by the Supreme Court of Canada. Shortly after this, the Famous Five appealed in London, England to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council and the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision was overturned. The Persons Case gave the opportunity to women to be apart of the Senate, as well as the House of Commons, and the Upper House, and inspired women of all ages across Canada to exercise their rights as not just women, but “persons”.
