Killian Woods of the Business Post took the top prize at the Justice Media Awards in Dublin on Thursday.
The awards, which are organised by the Law Society of Ireland, recognise “outstanding print, broadcast and online journalism that contributes to the public’s understanding of justice, the legal system and access to justice issues”. There were more than 400 entries.
Mr Woods took the overall prize for his nine-part series on “Planning and the Courts – The fallout from the State’s bid to tackle judicial reviews of development projects”.
The Irish Times won two awards on the night. Conor Pope scooped the top prize in the “print/online journalism (daily)” category for his fly-on-the-wall look at the workings of one of Ireland’s less glamorous courts.
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Judges said the piece, entitled “Shining a light on the Small Claims Court”, put the “spotlight on access to justice” and included “practical explainers for ordinary people who have disputes to resolve”.
Meanwhile, the newspaper’s legal affairs correspondent, Mary Carolan, won the “court reporting – print/online” award for her account of a day trip to the Aran Islands with District Court judge Mary Fahy.
Elsewhere, the Ashling Murphy murder trial, public interest investigative journalism, court delays and law reform issues were among the key topics covered across the 15 award categories.
President of the Law Society Barry MacCarthy said: “For over 30 years, the Law Society has celebrated the best in legal journalism. We have immense pride in the Justice Media Awards and what they stand for.
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“We are honoured to support journalism that promotes a greater public understanding of the law and our rights, legal literacy and the legal system.”
Of the main winner on the night, he added: “With the country facing a housing crisis, Mr Woods delved into the details of the planning system and developments, and showed commitment to following the story over a period of months.
“It is a complex topic, but this reporting was timely, educational and was about keeping our State bodies accountable. It is exceptional legal reporting.”
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