The Echo’s investigative journalism was, once again, singled out for praise at the annual Law Society Media Justice Awards.

The newspaper received a Certificate of Merit on Thursday last for a series of three articles probing the Direct Provision system in Ireland, published last year.

The Law Society’s citation said that the articles, researched and written by Editor Tom Mooney,“ably tackles the very questionable system of ‘direct provision’ in Ireland – the means by which the State accommodates people seeking asylum.”

The Law Society added that the investigation “confronts the widespread concern relating to the ‘appalling abuse of rights and liberty’ of asylum seekers (as one of his sources puts it) – and the mental-health effects on those who are cooped up in a form of detention originally conceived to last no longer than six months’ duration, but, in reality, for years.”

The Law Society, which received a record number of entries from journalists throughout Ireland, remarked that “The Echo is to be congratulated for committing journalistic resources (with the assistance of the Mary Raftery Journalism Fund) and a significant amount of space to shedding light on this significant human rights issue for immigrants to Ireland.”

The annual Justice Media Awards are now 22 years old, and focus on published reportsor broadcasts that have helped to inform and educate on the role of law in society.