Law

Fact checks about UK law, how legal systems work, justice and human rights

21 January 2020

There’s limited evidence that lie detectors will be effective on terror offenders

Lie detectors aren’t accurate, but that’s not the only measure of their worth.

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There’s limited evidence that lie detectors will be effective on terror offenders
10 January 2020

How long do murderers serve in prison?

Over half of murderers released from prison have served between 11 and 18 years in custody.

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How long do murderers serve in prison?
11 December 2019

Usman Khan and sentencing terror offences

After the London Bridge attack, there's been a debate over how people in the UK are sentenced for terror offences, in particular Usman Khan, the attacker.

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Usman Khan and sentencing terror offences
2 December 2019

The BBC and ITV seven-party debates, fact checked

We fact check the key claims and major topics from the BBC and ITV seven-party debates, including the NHS, Brexit, poverty, immigration and criminal justice.

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The BBC and ITV seven-party debates, fact checked
30 October 2019

This image claiming there are four million 17 year-olds who’ll be able to vote in the election is not about the UK

The image is about the US. There are only around 725,000 17 year-olds in the UK.

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This image claiming there are four million 17 year-olds who’ll be able to vote in the election is not about the UK
9 October 2019

More prisoners to be released two thirds of the way through sentence than halfway

The government pledged to mandate serious criminals spending two thirds of their sentence in prison. Judges already have discretion to impose this.

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More prisoners to be released two thirds of the way through sentence than halfway
4 October 2019

That claim you’ve seen about Supreme Court judges getting paid £175,000 by the EU is totally made up

Some work ad hoc for the European Court of Human Rights, but that is separate from the European Union.

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That claim you’ve seen about Supreme Court judges getting paid £175,000 by the EU is totally made up
30 September 2019

No evidence for how Supreme Court judges voted in EU referendum

Judges have to stay politically impartial, and we have no idea how they voted.

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No evidence for how Supreme Court judges voted in EU referendum
25 September 2019

The Lord Kerr who wrote Article 50 isn’t the Lord Kerr who sits on the Supreme Court

Lord Kerr of Kinlochard is a different person to Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore.

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The Lord Kerr who wrote Article 50 isn’t the Lord Kerr who sits on the Supreme Court
9 September 2019

What does proroguing parliament mean?

We explain what it means to prorogue parliament, why it’s controversial, and how it could affect Brexit.

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What does proroguing parliament mean?

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