OTTAWA – Nominations are being sought for the Canadian Bar Association (CBA)’s Stephen Hanson Awards for Excellence in Journalism (formerly the Justicia Awards).
The Awards recognize outstanding broadcast and print or online journalism that fosters public awareness and understanding of the Canadian justice system. Entries are evaluated on accuracy, originality, effectiveness in explaining legal issues to the public, informational value, and insight.
Two winners – one from the broadcast category and one from the print/online category – will be chosen by an independent judging panel selected by the CBA. The Awards will be presented at the CBA Legal Conference in Saskatoon in August. In addition to a plaque, the winners will receive travel and accommodation to attend the awards ceremony.
The deadline to submit entries is May 1, 2013. To qualify for the Awards, stories must hold a broadcast or publication date that falls between May 16, 2012 and April 30, 2013. Nomination forms and a full description of entry requirements may be obtained on the Awards website or by contacting Alison Crone.
Drew Hasselback of the Financial Post was the 2012 print winner for his series of articles on Ontario’s summary judgment procedure, while Radio-Canada’s Johanne Faucher and Mireille Ledoux received the broadcast prize for “Opération Mr. Big,” a story that aired on Enquête which examined a controversial police investigation technique.
The Awards have been renamed after Stephen Hanson, who led the CBA's communications department for 36 years until his retirement in 2012. During his time at the CBA, Hanson was instrumental in communicating the importance of the legal system to the general public, and helped establish the original Justicia Awards in 2000. Hanson worked as a journalist at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation prior to joining the CBA.
The Canadian Bar Association is dedicated to supporting the rule of law, improvements in the law, and the administration of justice. Some 37,000 lawyers, law teachers, and law students from across Canada are members.
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