Ms. Barboura Ferns

This interview focuses on several key areas of Ferns’ career as the first woman Assistant Crown Attorney in Ontario. The first major portion discusses her role in implementing the Young Offenders Act, which came into effect April 2, 1984. Ferns worked with Allan Shipley from the policy branch and Staff Sergeant Joan McMaster to develop training materials and programs for Crown attorneys across the province. This work represented a significant shift from the Juvenile Delinquents Act, emphasizing accountability, fixed sentences, and formal alternative measures while addressing Charter requirements for uniform legislation across Canada.

The interview also explores Ferns’ pioneering work in domestic violence prosecution at 311 Jarvis Street in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She handled private complaints that came through family court, when women were expected to lay their own charges rather than having police lay charges automatically. Ferns developed innovative approaches to prosecuting these cases, ensuring that domestic violence was taken seriously by the courts and that responsibility was placed on her as Crown rather than on the complainants. This work led to her appointment to the Premier’s domestic violence committee, where she traveled the province advocating for Crown prosecution of domestic violence cases.

Throughout the interview, Ferns discusses the significant challenges faced as a woman in the criminal justice system during the 1970s and 1980s, including isolation, lack of institutional support for family responsibilities, discriminatory judicial behavior, and the need to exceed male standards of performance. The interview provides valuable insights into the evolution of youth justice, domestic violence prosecution, and the experiences of women legal professionals during a period of significant social and legal change.

This description was written by AI and may contain some inaccuracies.