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OTTAWA, November 25, 2011  —  University of Ottawa law professor Constance Backhouse has been awarded the Gold Medal for Achievement in Research by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Council’s highest research honour.

The award was presented to Professor Backhouse for her major body of work on feminist research, including the examination of gender discrimination and the legal history of gender and race in Canada. She has published numerous books and articles that profile the fascinating ways in which women and racialized communities have struggled to obtain justice within the legal system.

“There is no one else in the country who knows as much about legal history and women in law,” says Vice-President, Research Mona Nemer. “Her expertise in exposing the inequality systemically embedded in the legal process and decision-making is unmatched. We are proud this exceptional scholar has chosen the University of Ottawa as her home.”

The SSHRC Gold Medal is awarded to an individual whose leadership, dedication and originality of thought have significantly advanced understanding in his or her field of research, enriched Canadian society and contributed to the country's cultural and intellectual life. Backhouse is the ninth winner of the Medal since its inception in 2003.

Professor Backhouse is currently focussing her research on a biography of former Supreme Court of Canada justice Claire L’Heureux-Dubé, the second woman appointed to our highest court and the first from Quebec. The research will help contextualize legal biography, to focus on what one individual’s life can teach us about the history of her place and time.

The University of Ottawa has acknowledged Professor Backhouse’s contributions to research by naming her Distinguished University Professor and University Research Chair on the Sexual Assault Legislation in Canada in the Faculty of Law (Common Law Section). In 2004, she was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and in 2008, she was named to the Order of Canada. In 2009, she co-founded the Feminist History Society (www.feministhistories.ca).  This organization is dedicated to compiling and publishing books about the history of Second Wave Canadian feminism.

The University of Ottawa is committed to research excellence and encourages an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge creation, which attracts the best academic talent from across Canada and around the world. It is an important stakeholder in the National Capital Region’s economic development.

View SSHRC wesite: http://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx