Award for Irish Examiner series on ‘lost children’

THE Irish Examiner has taken one of the top honours in the annual Law Society awards for journalism.

Reporter Noel Baker was joint winner of the daily national newspaper category for his series on children in the criminal justice system which ran over four days earlier this year.

Describing the series as“superbly researched”, the judging panel said it went behind the scenes at the Children’s Court and the country’s juvenile reform institutions and raised serious questions about society’s “lost children”.

In talking with lawyers, child welfare groups and children, Mr Baker explored the lives of youngsters sleeping rough, begging in the streets and drug-taking and how their circumstances often lead them into the hands of the law at an early age.

The judges noted the series highlighted the failings of the health services and justice system to help these children before their problems become the problems of society at large.

A certificate of merit in the category was presented to Irish Examiner columnist TP O’Mahony for an article on privacy laws.

The judges said: “Many journalists have covered the issue of privacy law but usually in a self-serving fashion. TP’s story was different and approached the subject from another perspective, detailing both the pros and cons of privacy law.”

Ann Murphy, crime reporter with the Irish Examiner’s sister publication, the Evening Echo, won the regional newspaper award for her analysis of victim impact statements in the wake of the issues that arose from Majella Holohan’s court comments at the trial of Wayne O’Donoghue for killing her son Robert.

The judges said it “was a thought-provoking, clear piece of writing, formulated at a time when more heat than light was being generated on this topic”.

The Justice Media Awards, sponsored by the Law Society, recognise outstanding journalism on the themes of justice and the law. The overall award and the television award went to RTÉ reporter Mary Wilson and producer Tanya Sillem for a Prime Time special on the case of Mayo farmer Padraig Nally who shot dead Traveller John ‘Frog’ Ward in October 2004.

Law Society director general Ken Murphy said the judges were unanimous in their decision to grant the award to the programme which, they said, was characterised by superb investigative journalism and excellent production values.