CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR SIXTH ANNUAL JUSTICIA AWARDS

OTTAWA, May 13, 2005 – Nominations are being sought for the sixth annual Justicia Awards for Excellence in Journalism.

The Justicia Awards recognize outstanding broadcast and print stories that foster public awareness and understanding of any aspect of the Canadian justice system, or the roles played by institutions and participants in the legal system. They are sponsored by the Canadian Bar Association, the Law Commission of Canada and the Department of Justice Canada.

Two prize winners, one in each category, will be selected by an independent panel of judges. The awards will be presented at the annual meeting of the Canadian Bar Association in Vancouver on August 14.

The deadline is June 1, 2005 for entries covering stories that were published or broadcast between May 16, 2004 and May 15th 2005. Entry forms may be obtained online at http://www.cba.org/cba/awards/justicia/ or by contacting Emily Porter, Canadian Bar Association, at 1-800-267-8860 ext. 155 (emilyp@cba.org).

Last year the prize for excellence in the print category was awarded to Dan Gardner of the Ottawa Citizen for his series of seven columns which critically examined a popular idea or assumption about Canadian justice, ranging from judicial activism to gun control.

The judges also awarded a certificate of merit (print category) to Jean-Maurice Bouchard of Montreal's Magazine Finance for his November 2003 article on the impact of new class action rules in Quebec.

The winners in the broadcast category were Sylvie Fournier and Pier Gagné of Société Radio-Canada's Enjeux for their report on a novel restorative justice approach to the relations between the victims and perpetrators of incest.

A certificate of merit was awarded to Julie Vaillancourt and Geneviève Turcotte from Radio-Canada's Justice for their report on a case that put on trial a woman for criminal negligence for allegedly failing to stop her husband's incestuous relationship with her daughters.

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Ref.:

Emily Porter
Media Coordinator
Canadian Bar Association
(613) 237-2925 or 1-800-267-8860 ext. 155

Stephen Bindman
Special Advisor
Department of Justice Canada
(613) 957-4930