CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR SEVENTH ANNUAL JUSTICIA AWARDS

OTTAWA, April 28, 2006 – Nominations are being sought for the seventh 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 judging panel. The awards will be presented at the annual meeting of the Canadian Bar Association in St. John’s, NL on August 12.

The deadline is June 2, 2006 for entries covering stories that were published or broadcast between May 16, 2005 and May 15th 2006. 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 Shannon Rupp for her February 2005 feature “Duelling Rights” published in the Georgia Straight. The story looked at a case involving a transsexual who wants to be a volunteer counsellor in a women’s centre in Vancouver.

CBC News Canada Now/Newsworld was the winner in the broadcast category for its program “Crime on the Street,” produced by Scott Moore and Ian Hanomansing. This television program was broadcast March 31, 2005 live from the cells of a federal penal institution.

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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