THE standard of legal journalism in South Africa had advanced markedly, Webber Wentzel Bowens (WWB) senior partner Ed Southey said on Wednesday. Southey was speaking at a ceremony at which Philip de Bruin of Johannesburg’s Beeld newspaper and reporter Eugene Botha of Carte Blanche received WWB’s third legal journalist of the year award in the print and the electronic categories respectively. ”We had 88 entries from 27 journalists and I can tell you the standard was much higher than in previous years,” Southey told a breakfast awards ceremony in Johannesburg. He praised all 27 entrants for their informed, balanced comment and critical analysis of issues and changes in South Africa’s legal milieu. Southey, however criticised the South African media for its general lack of interest in legal issues. Quoting a letter written to him by one of the adjudicators, former editor-in-chief of The Star Harvey Tyson, he said: ”Newspapers and the electronic media are failing to train, or even employ, dedicated legal journalists”. His concern was echoed by veteran advocate Glibert Marcus, SC, who said it was ”regrettable” that an important component of South Africa’s new democracy, the Constitutional Court, was largely ignored and not understood by the public and the media. – Sapa