New Journalism Prize – Nominations due Feb. 10

WJP 2016 Anthony Lewis Prize for Exceptional Rule of Law Journalism
The World Justice Project is pleased to announce the inaugural WJP Anthony Lewis Prize for Exceptional Rule of Law Journalism. This annual competition has been created to acknowledge journalists from around the world who have contributed to increased awareness and understanding of the foundational importance of the rule of law. The winner will receive $10,000 USD to be awarded in May 2016.
Criteria
The prize will be awarded to a current journalist who has demonstrated excellence in rule of law reporting.
The journalist’s work (as demonstrated through key examples of their writing) will be judged on how effectively they have contributed to increased awareness and understanding of the foundational importance of the rule of law.
Nominees can be from any country in the world, but entries must be in English or have been translated into English.
Anyone can nominate a journalist, including self-nominations.
About Anthony Lewis
Anthony Lewis (1927 – 2013), a friend and inspiration to the World Justice Project, was a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist credited with transforming legal journalism in the United States. Lewis covered the Supreme Court, the Justice Department, and legal affairs for The New York Times in addition to serving as a columnist as well as the paper’s London bureau chief. He is the author of five books, including Gideon’s Trumpet, which describes James Earl Gideon’s landmark U.S. Supreme Court case concerning the right to legal counsel. Lewis’ reporting on the establishment of the Constitutional Court in post-apartheid South Africa helped inspire the creation of the World Justice Project. He was also an active participant at WJP’s first regional meeting in 2007.
Why recognize reporting on the rule of law?
Effective rule of law reduces corruption, combats poverty and disease, and protects people from injustices large and small. It is the foundation for communities of peace, opportunity, and equity—underpinning development, accountable government, and respect for fundamental rights.
Traditionally, the rule of law has been viewed as the domain of lawyers and judges. But everyday issues of safety, rights, justice, and governance affect us all; everyone is a stakeholder in the rule of law. (Read more about the rule of law.)
Selection Process
Journalists from around the world may be nominated for excellence in rule of law reporting beginning December 22, 2015 and ending on February 10, 2016 (11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time). After nominations are processed and refined by a World Justice Project Anthony Lewis Prize staff committee, consulting widely, a final judging panel will review and select the winning journalist. The winner of the WJP 2016 Anthony Lewis Prize for Exceptional Rule of Law Journalism will be announced in May 2016.
The judging panel will include: Belinda Goldsmith, Editor-in-Chief, Thomson Reuters Foundation; Jack Knight, Frederic Cleaveland Professor of Law and Political Science, Duke University; and Mondli Makhanya, Former Editor-in-Chief, Times Media Group & Former Chairman, South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) / Editor at Large, City Press newspaper & Board Member, World Justice Project.
Nominations
To nominate a journalist, please visit the WJP 2016 Anthony Lewis Prize for Exceptional Rule of Law Journalism webpage.