National Security Measures and Political Trials: Canadian State Trials of 1939-1990

In this podcast episode, Nicole O’Byrne speaks to Barry Wright about his book Canadian State Trials, Volume V: World War, Cold War, and Challenges to Sovereignty, 1939–1990, co-edited with Susan Binnie and Eric Tucker. The book was published for the Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History by the University of Toronto Press in 2022. It is the final installment in a five-volume series on the history of Canadian State Trials and focuses on the political trials and national security measures of 1939 to 1990. Topics covered in this collection of essays include the internment of Japanese Canadians during and after WWII, labour strikes, and Indigenous protests, particularly in British Columbia. Canadian State Trials, Volume V is a diverse collection of work of legal scholars, historians, and interdisciplinary scholars. Barry Wright is Professor Emeritus of law, criminology, and history at Carleton University. He has done extensive research on political trials, the administration of national security measures in Canadian history and on the rule of law and criminal law reform in the 19th century British Empire. He has co-edited all five volumes in the Canadian State Trial series. This podcast was produced by Jessica Schmidt. Image credit: A.Y. Jackson and the Origins of the Group of Seven If you like our work, please consider supporting it: bit.ly/support_WTY. Your support contributes to the Champlain Society’s mission of opening new windows to directly explore and experience Canada’s past.