Post Office to review 900 convictions of subpostmasters
The Post Office is reviewing 900 convictions of subpostmasters amid fears that the Horizon computer system scandal could mean they are all miscarriages of justice.
Hundreds of subpostmasters were wrongly accused of false accounting and theft which was in fact caused by a defective computer system.
As a result, some subpostmasters were made bankrupt, while others were prosecuted and even jailed.
At the High Court last year, Mr Justice Fraser approved a £58 million settlement between the Post Office and more than 550 claimants over the scandal.
Now the Post Office will conduct an “extensive” review dating back to 1999, when the Horizon computer system was first rolled out, to identify any material that might cast doubt on the safety of the convictions.
A detailed record search into the oldest cases identified around 900 prosecuted cases which may have relied on Horizon data.
In a statement, a spokesman for the Post Office pledged to “leave no stone unturned”.
“The Post Office has taken determined action to both address the past and provide fundamental reform for the future,” the spokesman said.
“We agreed a comprehensive resolution last year with claimants in group civil litigation, following successful independent mediation. We sincerely apologise to those affected by past events.
“We have been working closely with the Criminal Cases Review Commission (‘CCRC’) since applications were first made to them and we will be, similarly, assisting the Courts regarding cases referred for appeal.
“Alongside this, we are conducting an extensive review of all relevant historical convictions, dating back to 1999, to identify and disclose material in accordance with Post Office duties as prosecutor.”
A new series on BBC Radio 4, The Great Post Office Trial, speaks to victims of the scandal and will be broadcast live every weekday until June 5 at 1.45pm.
