The Irish Times has won a Justice Media Award for its coverage of legal matters.
The Law Society awards recognise outstanding print, broadcast and online journalism that contributes to public understanding of justice, the legal system and access to justice issues.
Mary Carolan, legal affairs correspondent, won in the court reporting print category for her reports from the District Court that handles domestic violence cases in Dolphin House, Dublin.
She was also nominated in the same category for her coverage of Nikita Hand’s civil High Court action against Conor McGregor.
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Barry Whyte, a freelance journalist, was awarded a merit certificate in the environmental law/climate justice reporting category for a news feature, published in The Irish Times, on rangers from the National Parks & Wildlife Service investigating wildlife crime.
This year’s overall winners were Aoife Kelleher, Farah Abushwesha and Rachel Lysaght of Underground Films and Rocliffe for the feature-length documentary Testimony, which detailed the fight for justice by survivors of Ireland’s Magdalene laundries and mother and baby homes.
“It was difficult to watch and showed that human-rights abuses can happen in Ireland too – and on an industrial scale,” the judges said, suggesting that the documentary should have a place on school curriculums.
Law Society president Eamon Harrington said: “Journalism that amplifies voices of survivors and shares stories for the benefit of the public needs [to] be recognised and celebrated. This year our overall winner, Testimony, does just that.”
This year’s awards received a record-breaking 495 entries across 16 award categories. A total of 140 entries were shortlisted.
“Over the past five years, entries to the awards have doubled, with a 20 per cent increase this year from 2024. The record-breaking number of entries this year show that the standard of Irish legal journalism remains incredibly high,” Mr Harrington said.
“From seasoned national and local reporters, podcasters, broadcasters, newcomers and students, there is every reason to be optimistic about the future of Irish legal journalism.”
