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2015 Atlantic Journalism Awards Finalists

Attachments



Slug/Label Deportation
Date Aired or Published November 20, 2015
Media outlet where first aired or published: CBC Radio
Name of Program: Information Morning
If co-produced, list partner:
Location: Halifax
List awards, grants:
Running time (TV/Radio): 8:21

Short explanation of the story and how it developed:

This story takes an investigative look at the complex case of a Nova Scotia woman who is being deported to St. Vincent. Debra Spencer was adopted by a Canadian family as a 6-year-old and has lived in Nova Scotia ever since. She pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder in 2014 and only after that was it discovered that she was a permanent resident not a Canadian citizen. Due to the 2013 Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act, that means automatic deportation without appeal to a country she hasn't been to for more than 20 years. Family and advocates say she has mental health and developmental challenges and that deporting her away from her children and community isn't justice. Legal experts say there was also a "tragic" legal omission during her trial. My work on this story is on-going.

Resources of the newsroom (money and time) available to complete the story:

I freelanced this story for the CBC. All resources were my own (recording equipment etc.) I worked on this story on evenings and weekends for one month.

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