The winners of the 2019 Bar Council Legal Reporting Awards are BBC journalist Clive Coleman and the i paper’s Rob Hastings.

Broadcast category

The broadcast category was won by Clive Coleman for his series on the prorogation case, on BBC and BBC Radio Four.

The series demonstrated in an unparallel way the constitution in action and the role of the independent judiciary in scrutinising – through the mechanism of judicial review – the lawfulness of the actions of the Prime Minister in advising the Queen to prorogue Parliament. This was a case which brought the public attention to key areas of the law.

Print/online category

‘The Trial: Secrets of Jury Service’ by Rob Hasting examined the most important institution in Britain’s legal system and assessed whether jury trials deliver justice in a fair and reliable way. The pieces gave the readers a first-person perspective on what it’s like to be a juror and raised important concerns which have been ignored for a long time.

Chair of the Bar Amanda Pinto QC said: ”This year the number and quality of the entrants to the Bar Council’s Law Reporting Awards was quite outstanding. We had difficult choices to make because the field was of such high calibre, but us judges were particularly impressed by both winners, each of whom made important legal proceedings clear and understandable to the public. “ 

ENDS

 

Notes to Editors

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