'Prime Time' team wins media award

An RTÉ Prime Time Investigates report on medical negligence has been named overall winner of the Law Society's Justice Media Awards competition.

The one-hour programme, produced by Mike Milotte and Irish Times columnist Mary Raftery, won a Dublin Crystal vase and a cheque for €1,500.

The Irish Times Legal Affairs Correspondent, Carol Coulter, won a certificate of merit for her articles on the legal and political implications of the Judge Brian Curtin case.

The director general of the Law Society, Mr Ken Murphy, described the winning Prime Time report as "wonderful investigative journalism, characterised by superb production values".

A second Prime Time Investigates report, on breaches of the planning law by developers, won the television category award.

"In our view, these Prime Time Investigates programmes are superior to any current affairs documentaries in recent years from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 or indeed any TV broadcasts we can receive in Ireland," Mr Murphy said.

The award in the daily newspaper category went to Niamh Nolan of the Irish Examiner for a series on the Irish prison system. John Burns of the Sunday Times won the award for the non-daily newspaper category for an article on the legal position of separated and divorced fathers.

The magazine prize went to Anne O'Carroll of Consumer Choice, while the radio award went to Caitríona Chambers and Kieran Hurley of Cork Campus Radio.

Five other certificates of merit were awarded.