Anthony Dowsley of the Herald Sun won the 2022 Best Coverage of an Issue Quill for “The Verdict”.

Judges' statement

Anthony Dowsley's 10-year investigation into the conviction of Jason Roberts over the 1998 Silk-Miller police murders led to the Court of Appeal quashing the guilty verdict and ordering a retrial. Roberts was acquitted at that retrial and freed after 22 years in jail. Dowsley's discovery of a police statement that was hidden from the original trial exposed potential police corruption and was crucial in convincing the second jury to acquit Roberts. IBAC initially dismissed the statement as a ruse, but further Dowsley articles prompted IBAC to backflip. Dowsley's coverage has also prompted a probe into the original police investigation and alleged corruption by some Silk-Miller task force detectives. Dowsley's series of exclusive articles also linked Bandali Debs, who remains convicted of the Silk-Miller shootings, with other unsolved murders.

The winning entry

Roberts walks free after shock Silk-Miller verdict, Herald Sun

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Highly commended

Adele Ferguson and Chris Gillett, The Age and 7.30, “Medicare Exposed” (Links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

Anthony Galloway, Michelle Griffin and Kate Geraghty, The Age, “The invasion of Ukraine” (Links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)