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Law

Did online child grooming in Northern Ireland increase by 40% last year?
16 February 2024

CLAIM: The Derry Journal reported that cases of online sexual grooming of children in Northern Ireland rose by over 40% between 2022 and 2023.

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INACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION

On 6 February in a post on social media, the Derry Journal claimed: “The mother of two children who were groomed by someone pretending to

Articles

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Europe

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Law

Can both UK and Irish citizens cross the border without showing ID?
9 February 2024

CLAIM: Citizens of both the UK and of Ireland are not required to carry or produce ID when moving between the two territories, thanks to the legal provisions of the Common Travel Area.

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ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION

On 11 January in posts on social media, campaign group End Deportations Belfast criticised the approach of An Garda Síochána officers carrying out checks on

Articles

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Europe

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Health

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Law

Do child refugees living in NI need a visa to access urgent care if they have heart problems?
16 November 2023

CLAIM: Refugee children living in Northern Ireland who require urgent paediatric cardiological services need a visa in order to travel for specialist care in Dublin.

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ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION

On 21 September, Member of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Dr Lucy Michael said in a social media post: “A refugee child in

Articles

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Law

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Peace

Did the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement lead to comfort letters for the ‘On The Runs’?
8 November 2023

CLAIM: The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement (GFA) ultimately led to the “On The Runs” (OTRs) receiving so-called “comfort letters” covering the same types of criminal allegations addressed in Westminster’s recent Legacy Act.

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ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION

In a post on social media on 6 September, DUP MLA Emma Little-Pengelly claimed: “Remember that because of Good Friday Agreement, the offences covered by

Articles

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Elections

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Europe

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Law

Do the TUV’s seven reasons why Stormont can’t return stand up to scrutiny?
24 October 2023

TUV Leader Jim Allister MLA has laid out seven reasons why Stormont cannot and must not return, so long as the Protocol remains in place

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MIXED

Speaking on 13 September to the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) Central Council, party leader Jim Allister MLA said there are seven reasons why Stormont “must

Articles

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Law

Do PSNI chief constables have the same average tenure as other top cops in the UK?
27 September 2023

CLAIM: PSNI chief constables tend to stay in post for the same amount of time as the top officers on forces in England and Wales.

Rating

ACCURATE

Following the resignation of Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Simon Byrne, University of Liverpool Professor Jon Tonge claimed on social media that:

Articles

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Health

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Law

Does easier access to abortion and contraception lead to an increase in domestic abuse and sexual violence?
22 September 2023

CLAIM: As abortions and contraceptives become more readily available, rates of domestic abuse and sexual violence go up.

Rating

INACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION

On 7 June on BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme, Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown claimed: “The problem is that we find as abortion
Hate crime Northern Ireland

Articles

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Law

Is there no such thing as a ‘hate crime’ under NI law?
25 August 2023

CLAIM: There is no such thing as a hate crime under NI law. Instead, there are only crimes aggravated by hatred.

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ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION

In a social media post on 1 August, commentator Newton Emerson claimed: “There’s no such thing as’’a hate crime’ under NI law, only crimes aggravated

Articles

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Explainer

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Law

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Peace

Was Ireland’s constitutional claim to Northern Ireland illegal?
24 July 2023
On 7 June, during an evidence session to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee (NIAC) in the House of Commons, Baroness Foster was asked the following
Hate crime Northern Ireland

Articles

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Law

Is Nicola Sturgeon the first former or current political party leader to be arrested since the 1970s? Is she the only former First Minister or Prime Minister to be arrested in history?
14 June 2023

CLAIM: Nicola Sturgeon is the first former First Minister or Prime Minister in UK history to be arrested. She is the first former or current leader of a major party to be arrested since Jeremy Thorpe in the 1970s.

Rating

INACCURATE

The arrest of former Scottish National Party (SNP) Leader Nicola Sturgeon on Sunday triggered a number of claims about police dealings with UK political figures.

Europe

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Explainer

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Law

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Peace

What did the Supreme Court say about the lawfulness of the Northern Ireland Protocol?
27 February 2023
On 8 February, the Supreme Court handed down judgment in a case challenging the legality of the Northern Ireland Protocol. The court unanimously rejected the

Articles

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Law

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Topics

Are an average of three women killed by men each week?
25 January 2023

CLAIM: On average, three women are killed by men every week, while one in four women has been a victim of rape or sexual assault at some point.

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ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION

On 11 January, Alliance MLA Kate Nicholl tweeted: “In a society where 3 women are killed each week by a men and 1 in 4