As The Australian’s preeminent legal affairs correspondent, Berkovic dissects courtroom dramas, legislative reforms, and justice system challenges. Her work bridges human stories and policy analysis, making complex legal issues accessible to national audiences.
“The best legal journalism doesn’t just report verdicts – it examines how the gavel’s echo affects society.”
Nicola Berkovic has cemented her reputation as one of Australia’s foremost legal journalists through her incisive coverage of courtroom dramas, legislative reforms, and systemic challenges within the justice system. Over her career at The Australian, she has become synonymous with rigorous analysis of family law, criminal justice, and the intersection of policy and practice in Australia’s courts.
Berkovic’s career reflects a deepening expertise in legal journalism:
This 2020 investigation reconstructed one of Australia’s most chilling legal sagas – Leonard John Warwick’s 1980s bombing spree targeting family court officials. Berkovic combined archival research with contemporary interviews to expose how systemic failures allowed Warwick to evade detection while killing a judge’s wife and a church parishioner. Her timeline-driven narrative revealed:
“The bombings weren’t just acts of vengeance – they represented a brutal challenge to Australia’s evolving family law system.”
The article spurred parliamentary reviews of judicial security protocols and remains cited in criminology studies about domestic terrorism.
In this 2022 exposé, Berkovic uncovered NSW’s controversial proposal to privatize court reporting services. Through leaked documents and interviews with 14 court reporters, she demonstrated how outsourcing could delay trials and inflate legal costs. Key findings included:
The piece prompted Chief Justice Tom Bathurst to publicly oppose the reforms.
Berkovic’s 2019 investigation into international surrogacy markets revealed how Australian couples were bypassing domestic restrictions by contracting Kenyan surrogates. The article balanced emotional parent testimonials with stark legal analysis:
“Australia’s Surrogacy Act 2010 created a regulatory vacuum – one now being filled by developing nations with minimal oversight.”
Her reporting contributed to ongoing Senate inquiries into transnational surrogacy laws.
Berkovic prioritizes stories demonstrating how policy changes impact real-world outcomes. A successful pitch might detail how Victoria’s 2024 court digitization reduced case backlogs, supported by interviews with regional magistrates. This aligns with her 2022 analysis of NSW reporting reforms.
Her coverage of the Warwick bombings shows appetite for narratives intertwining personal drama with systemic issues. Pitches could explore how current family law disputes reflect broader societal shifts, such as LGBTQ+ custody cases testing traditional legal frameworks.
Berkovic frequently uses comparative analysis, as seen in her Kenya surrogacy piece. Effective pitches might examine how Canada’s restorative justice programs could inform Australian criminal reforms, backed by recidivism data.
Received for her series on pandemic-era court delays, which documented how virtual hearings exacerbated inequities for self-represented litigants. The judging panel praised her “unflinching examination of justice accessibility.”
Her investigation into indigenous sentencing disparities made the NPC’s Social Equity Journalism category, notable for its integration of cultural consultation with legal analysis.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Law, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
