Crime and Legal Affairs Journalism

This category is for the best journalism covering crime, courts and the law. The judges are looking for work which shows journalistic skill and rigour, is revelatory and which serves the public interest.

For print/online entries, please provide up to three examples of work. Broadcasters can submit up to three clips or one entire programme in support of their entry. A supporting statement of up 500 words must also be included. Collaborative entries are accepted. Work should have been published between 1 September 2023 and 31 August 2024 and aimed at a UK audience.

WINNERS

Sue Mitchell, Rob Lawrie, Joel Moors, Winifred Robinson, Dan Clarke, Philip Sellars, Tom Brignell and Mom Tudie — BBC Radio 4

- To Catch a Scorpion

- How we found Europe’s most wanted migrant-smuggler

- Why the BBC could track down a people-smuggling kingpin before the police

BBC team picking up Crime & Legal Journalism award for To Catch A Scorpion at the British Journalism Awards 2024. Picture: ASV Photography/Press Gazette

The judges said: “Gripping, brave, brilliant tradecraft and a huge public interest operation achieving what the police couldn’t.”

Emily Dugan

– The Guardian

The judges said: “This was exemplary campaigning work taking place over a number of years and revealing an appalling miscarriage of justice. The story came to represent the failure of the law enforcement, oversight and judicial systems.”

Linly Lin, Stefania Spezzati and Elisa Martinuzzi

Bloomberg News

The judges said: “This was a blockbuster investigation into massive taxpayer funded fraud which the Government tried to keep secret.”

Crime and Legal Affairs Journalism winners from Bloomberg News pick up their award at the British Journalism Awards 2022. Picture: ASV Photography Ltd for Press Gazette

Liam Vaughan, Kit Chellel and Ben Bain

Bloomberg News

The judges said: “From Kuwait and Iraq to West Horndon, this entry exposed a colourful trail of skulduggery involving mid-boggling sums of money in a story that was expertly told.”

Liam Vaughan and Kit Chellel of Bloomberg News pick up the Crime and Legal Affairs Journalism prize at the British Journalism Awards 2021 from Jeremy Vine and investigative journalist and academic Paul Lashmar

Samantha Poling, Eamon T. O Connor, Shelley Jofre and Mona McAlinden

BBC Scotland

• Disclosure: Who killed Emma?

The judges said “huge journalistic skill” was involved in putting together Disclosure: Who killed Emma? which they said “forensically examines a police operation and puts prime suspects in front of the camera”. They added: “This investigation uncovered damning shortcomings in the police investigation and shed new light on an unsolved murder.”

Steve Swann, Thomas Mackintosh, Tom Symonds, Danny Shaw, Wesley Stephenson, Jodi Law and David Brown

BBC News

• Killed in 2019: The UK’s first 100 victims

Judges said: “The subject area is one that lends itself to stereotypical responses, like the idea that this was mainly people in their teens stabbing each other. This comprehensive data analysis paints a far more in-depth picture of what is happening.”