Almost 140 journalists gathered at the Law Society of Ireland today, Wednesday 25 June, for the highly anticipated announcement of winners of the Justice Media Awards 2025. 

The top award was presented to Aoife Kelleher, Rachel Lysaght and Farah Abushwesha of Underground Films and Rocliffe for their powerful documentary, Testimony.  

Jointly winning the Human Rights/Social Justice Reporting (broadcast) category, this entry was chosen as the overall winner from 495 entries and 140 shortlisted entries. The documentary follows survivors of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries and Mother and Baby Homes in their fight for justice. 

New features category takes off 

For the first time ever, the awards accepted entries in a Print-Online Journalism (feature) category. Mark Tighe & Marie Crowe of the Sunday Independent won the inaugural award in this category for their reporting, Field of Broken Dreams. 

Nikita Hand’s civil rape case, the Stardust Tragedy inquest, domestic violence cases, and court and law reform issues were among the key topics covered across 16 award categories. 

President of the Law Society, Eamon Harrington, said, “For almost 30 years, the Justice Media Awards have been a great source of pride for the Law Society, but they are only as strong as the quality, tenacity, and dedication of the journalists who apply and the stories they tell.  Over the past five years, entries to the awards have doubled, with a 20% increase this year from 2024. The record-breaking number of entries this year show that the standard of legal journalism remains incredibly high. 

“As journalists across the world continue to face threats, it is more important than ever to recognise and support responsible journalism, and those who produce it, that educates, informs and keeps our State bodies accountable. Journalism that amplifies voices of survivors and shares stories for the benefit of the public needs be recognised and celebrated. This year our overall winner, Testimony, does just that.  

“Testimony tells a harrowing and uncomfortable story about human rights abuses in Ireland, but one that needs to be told. The documentary celebrates resilience, calls for justice, accountability, and the right for survivors to pursue legal action, ensuring such inconceivable acts are never repeated. It is educational, confronting and is exceptional legal storytelling. 

“I would like to congratulate each of today’s winners. There is a huge amount of talent and credibility from Ireland’s legal journalists. With new media forms being developed, there is talent emerging from all areas. From seasoned national and local reporters, podcasters, broadcasters, newcomers and students, there is every reason to be optimistic about the future of Irish legal journalism.”  

Category winners 

In total, one overall winner, 17 awards and 48 merits were presented across 16 categories. 

• To view the full list of winners.