RADIO CANADA TELEVISION AND HALIFAX HERALD WIN JUSTICIA MEDIA AWARDS

HALIFAX, August 19, 2000  -- The Halifax Herald and Radio Canada's Le Point are the first winners of the Justicia Awards for Excellence in Journalism. The awards, announced today at the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) Annual Conference, are sponsored by the Law Commission of Canada, the CBA, and the federal Department of Justice.

"Who's Killing Who," a ten-part series of newspaper stories, photos and graphics exploring how homicides are investigated and prosecuted, was put together by nine different journalists, a photographer and graphic artist under the leadership of Paul Schneidereit, a senior reporter with the Halifax Herald . It is the winner in the print category.

The winner in the broadcast category is Les murs de la maison plutôt que les barreaux de la prison, by reporter Valérie Lesage and produced by Nathalie Ferron on Radio-Canada's Le Point . It examined conditional, non-incarceration sentences in Quebec.

The awards recognize outstanding French or English journalism in print and broadcast media that fosters public awareness and understanding of any aspect of the Canadian justice system and the roles played by institutions and participants in the legal system. The criteria for judging entries are accuracy, effectiveness in explaining legal issues to the public, informational value, insight and originality.

The entries were judged by Justice Anne-Marie Trahan of the Quebec Superior Court, Wade MacLauchlan, President of the University of Prince Edward Island and Dr. Stuart Adam, Vice-President (Academic) of Carleton University.

"The balanced and comprehensive nature of the two winning stories, the eloquence of the writing, and the sophistication of the finished product combined to accelerate these entries to the top," said Justice Trahan on behalf of the judges.

Detailed descriptions of the winning entries
"Who's Killing Who" ran in the Halifax Herald, Mail-Star and the Halifax Sunday Herald from April 24 through May 15, 1999. The series, based on a database of information compiled by Schneidereit covering a decade of murder statistics, examined numerous justice-related issues such as sentencing, the roles of Crown attorneys, defence lawyers and judges, and the controversial process of finding an accused "not criminally responsible."

Schneidereit, a veteran journalist with 18 years' experience with The Herald , coordinated the team of writers who put together the series: Randy Jones, Dean Jobb, Lois Legge, Steve Maich, Frank Armstrong, Dale Madill, Nadine Fownes and Steve Proctor. Ingrid Bulmer shot the photographs and Vincent Walsh contributed the graphics.

Said the judges: "The series exhibits a strong research component, and is comprehensive and balanced. Certainly murder is a newsworthy subject, and the series provides the opportunity to deal with a complicated issue in easily digestible chunks or articles. It shows a sophistication in planning, teamwork and good use of the print medium."

Broadcast on March 21, 2000 on the Radio-Canada program, Le Point, the feature Les murs de la maison plutôt que les barreaux de la prison carefully examines the issue of the continuing increase in the number of conditional sentences in Canada since their introduction in 1996. It explains how the lack of resources to ensure the supervision of convicted offenders in Quebec is jeopardizing this alternative to imprisonment.

"Valérie Lesage used the television medium to good advantage. Her program demonstrates a genuine talent for popularization. She succeeded in transmitting the essential information clearly and eloquently. In addition, Ms. Lesage provided a good balance of opinions in addressing a topic that is currently dividing public opinion," said the judges.

The Justicia Awards are sponsored by the Department of Justice, the Law Commission of Canada and the Canadian Bar Association to acknowledge the important role that media play in enhancing public understanding of the legal system.

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Ref:

Hannah Bernstein, Aug. 19-23,
CBA Media Centre,
Halifax World Trade & Convention Centre,
Mariner Suite 2 & 3,
Port Royal Level,
1800 Argyle Street,
Halifax
(902) 491-4422.