Private Eye says The Evening Standard’s Tristan Kirk’s winning investigation illustrated how the “single justice procedure” makes justice impossible for people without the means or wherewithal to challenge the system, creating a conveyor belt system that has removed humanity and fairness from the law.
The Paul Foot Award was set up twenty years ago in memory of renowned journalist Paul Foot who died in 2004, and recognises the UK’s most brilliant, talented and determined journalists working in the fields of investigative and campaigning journalism.
The 2024 awards ceremony was hosted in-person at BAFTA by Private Eye Editor Ian Hislop, who said: “Justice is NOT being done but thanks to Tristan Kirk it is being seen NOT to be done!”
Pádraig Reidy, chair of Judges, The Private Eye Paul Foot Award, said: “With a record number of entries in this year’s Paul Foot Award, choosing a shortlist and a winner was an immense challenge. The judging panel was pleased to reward journalism in the very best tradition of Paul Foot’s work - compelling stories that revealed systemic exploitation, abuse and injustice."
A piece on the winner will run in print issue 1626 of Private Eye, out Wednesday 19th June.
Interviews with the winner and the entire shortlist are available to listen to on the Private Eye Page 94 podcast.
THE 2024 SHORTLIST, IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY JOURNALIST, IS:
- Antonia Cundy, Madison Marriage, Paul Caruana Galizia, FT/Tortoise: Investigation into Crispin Odey
- Tristan Kirk, Evening Standard: Single justice procedure: conveyor belt justice
- Anthony Lane, Humberto J Rocha, OPIS: Stopping carbon windfalls for big polluters closing plants
- Lewis McBlane, The Northern Scot: A96 dualling: a Moray cover-up
- Justine Smith, The House magazine: CAMHS in crisis
- Rebecca Thomas, The Independent: Failures in the UK mental health system
This year’s judging panel, chaired by Pádraig Reidy, Little Atoms, comprised Julia Langdon, political journalist and broadcaster; Sir Simon Jenkins, The Guardian; Helen Lewis, The Atlantic; Francis Wheen, Private Eye; Matt Foot, criminal defence solicitor; Kim Sengupta, The Independent; Janine Gibson, Financial Times; and David Conn, The Guardian and winner of the 2023 Paul Foot Award.
Tristan Kirk joins a distinguished list of journalists to have received the Paul Foot Award since it was established twenty years ago, including:
2023: David Conn, The Guardian
2022: David Collins & Hannah Al-Othman, The Sunday Times
2021: Robert Smith, Financial Times
2020: Alexandra Heal, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism/Various Outlets
2019: Emily Dugan, Buzzfeed
2018: Amelia Gentleman, The Guardian
2017: Emma Youle, Hackney Gazette
2014: Heidi Blake & Jonathan Calvert (The Sunday Times) and Andrew Bousfield & Richard Brooks (Private Eye)
2013: David Cohen, Evening Standard
2012: Andrew Norfolk, The Times
2011: Nick Davies, The Guardian
2010: Clare Sambrook, End Child Detention Now campaign, Various Outlets
2009: Ian Cobain, The Guardian
2008: Richard Brooks (Private Eye) and Camilla Cavendish (The Times)
2007: Rob Evans & David Leigh (The Guardian) & Deborah Wain (Doncaster Free Press)
2006: David Harrison, The Sunday Telegraph
2005: John Sweeney, Daily Mail
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