A state of emergency has existed in Northern Ireland since 1922. Security forces have broad powers to stop and question people, to search their homes, to detain them without charges for as long as sevendays and to exclude them from Northern Ireland or Great Britain. The right to trial by jury has been suspended for offenses related to terrorism. Political violence is a daily occurrence, and death is commonplace; almost 2, 900 people have died in "The Troubles" since 1969.
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