Latest news with #JusticeForSubpostmasters
The Independent
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Post Office bosses ‘maintained fiction' Horizon was accurate, inquiry concludes
Post Office bosses should have known Horizon was faulty but 'maintained the fiction that its data was always accurate' when prosecuting subpostmasters, the first tranche of a public inquiry's final report has concluded. Chairman Sir Wyn Williams said 'a number of senior' people at the organisation were aware the system, known as Legacy Horizon, was capable of error up until it was changed in 2010, with a number of employees also aware the updated system, Horizon Online, also had bugs and defects. A total of 59 victims of the Horizon scandal contemplated suicide with 10 attempting to take their own lives, Sir Wyn's final report concluded. He said there was a 'real possibility' 13 people took their own lives as a result of the suffering they endured during the scandal. Sir Wyn said around 10,000 people are eligible to submit compensation claims following what has been dubbed as the worst miscarriage of justice in British legal history. Lead campaigner and former subpostmistress Jo Hamilton said the report 'shows the full scale of the horror that they unleashed on us'. The scandal was propelled into the spotlight in January last year following the airing of ITV's drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, starring actor Toby Jones about Sir Alan Bates, former sub-postmaster and founder of the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance. Ex-Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells is accused of overseeing a huge number of wrongful prosecutions and convictions, and was in post at the time Sir Wyn said bosses should have known Horizon was faulty. The chairman's 162-page report criticised the 'unnecessarily adversarial attitude' of the Post Office and its advisers towards making compensation offers to victims and that the organisation and the Government 'simply failed to grasp how difficult it would be to provide appropriate financial redress.' Approximately 1,000 people were wrongly prosecuted and convicted throughout the UK between 1999 and 2015 as a result of faulty Fujitsu software, with a significant number contemplating self-harm, the report said. Sir Wyn also singled out the behaviour of Post Office investigators, saying subpostmasters 'will have been in wholly unfamiliar territory and they will have found the experience to be troubling at best and harrowing at worst'. The publication of the first tranche of the report on Tuesday focused solely on the devastating impact of the scandal on victims and the compensation offered to subpostmasters, with a further report potentially attributing blame expected at a later date. Teasing his conclusions for the final overarching report, which is still likely to be some months away, Sir Wyn said: 'Although many of the individuals who gave evidence before me were very reluctant to accept it, I am satisfied from the evidence that I have heard that a number of senior, and not-so-senior employees of the Post Office knew or, at the very least should have known, that Legacy Horizon was capable of error. 'Yet for all practical purposes, throughout the lifetime of Legacy Horizon, the Post Office maintained the fiction that its data was always accurate.' Sir Wyn made a total of 19 recommendations as part of his report, including that the Government and the Post Office should make a public announcement about what they mean by 'full and fair redress'. In a statement issued after the publication of the report, Sir Wyn said he is 'critical' of the Post Office and the Government for the 'development and evolution' of the compensation schemes. He also said the main scheme, the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS), had been subjected to 'egregious delays'. In his recommendations, Sir Wyn said claimants who apply for compensation as part of HSS, should be entitled to free legal advice. The chairman also addressed criticism of another scheme, the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme, saying claimants should be entitled to the £600,000 fixed offer even if they submit their own detailed individual claim. Sir Wyn urged the Government to establish a public body to devise, administer and deliver compensation to those wronged by authorities. The report said the number of people eligible to submit compensation claims as part of the scandal is likely to rise 'by at least hundreds, if not more, over the coming months'. In a statement, the Post Office said: 'The inquiry has brought to life the devastating stories of those impacted by the Horizon Scandal. 'Their experiences represent a shameful period in our history. 'Today, we apologise unreservedly for the suffering which Post Office caused to postmasters and their loved ones. 'We will carefully consider the report and its recommendations.'
The Independent
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Post Office scandal may have led to more than 13 suicides, official inquiry finds
More than 13 people may have killed themselves as a result of the Post Office Horizon scandal, the first tranche of a public inquiry's final report has concluded in what has been described as the worst miscarriage of justice in UK history. The inquiry chairman, retired judge Sir Wyn Williams, said at least 59 people "contemplated suicide at various points in time" and "attributed this to their experiences with Horizon and/or the Post Office". Post Office bosses should have known Horizon was faulty but "maintained the fiction that its data was always accurate" when prosecuting subpostmasters, the key report found. Sir Wyn said"a number of senior" people at the organisation were aware the system, known as Legacy Horizon, was capable of error up until it was changed in 2010, with a number of employees also aware the updated system, Horizon Online, also had bugs and defects. He said there was a "real possibility" 13 people took their own lives as a result of the suffering they endured during the scandal. Sir Wyn said around 10,000 people are eligible to submit compensation claims following what has been dubbed as the worst miscarriage of justice in British legal history. The scandal was propelled into the spotlight in January last year following the airing of ITV's drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, starring actor Toby Jones about Sir Alan Bates, former sub-postmaster and founder of the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance. Ex-Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells is accused of overseeing a huge number of wrongful prosecutions and convictions, and was in post at the time Sir Wyn said bosses should have known Horizon was faulty. The chairman's 162-page report criticised the "unnecessarily adversarial attitude" of the Post Office and its advisers towards making compensation offers to victims and that the organisation and the Government "simply failed to grasp how difficult it would be to provide appropriate financial redress." Approximately 1,000 people were wrongly prosecuted and convicted throughout the UK between 1999 and 2015 as a result of faulty Fujitsu software, with a significant number contemplating self-harm, the report said. Sir Wyn also singled out the behaviour of Post Office investigators, saying subpostmasters "will have been in wholly unfamiliar territory and they will have found the experience to be troubling at best and harrowing at worst". The publication of the first tranche of the report on Tuesday focused solely on the devastating impact of the scandal on victims and the compensation offered to subpostmasters, with a further report potentially attributing blame expected at a later date. Teasing his conclusions for the final overarching report, which is still likely to be some months away, Sir Wyn said: "Although many of the individuals who gave evidence before me were very reluctant to accept it, I am satisfied from the evidence that I have heard that a number of senior, and not-so-senior employees of the Post Office knew or, at the very least should have known, that Legacy Horizon was capable of error. "Yet for all practical purposes, throughout the lifetime of Legacy Horizon, the Post Office maintained the fiction that its data was always accurate." Sir Wyn made a total of 19 recommendations as part of his report, including that the Government and the Post Office should make a public announcement about what they mean by "full and fair redress". He also said claimants who apply for compensation as part of the main scheme, the Horizon Shortfall Scheme, should be entitled to free legal advice. The chairman also addressed criticism of another scheme, the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme, saying claimants should be entitled to the £600,000 fixed offer even if they submit their own detailed individual claim. Sir Wyn urged the Government to establish a public body to devise, administer and deliver compensation to those wronged by authorities. The report said the number of people eligible to submit compensation claims as part of the scandal is likely to rise "by at least hundreds, if not more, over the coming months". In a statement, the Post Office said: "The inquiry has brought to life the devastating stories of those impacted by the Horizon Scandal. "Their experiences represent a shameful period in our history. "Today, we apologise unreservedly for the suffering which Post Office caused to postmasters and their loved ones. "We will carefully consider the report and its recommendations." If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@ or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bates says Post Office scandal compensation schemes are ‘quasi-kangaroo courts'
Sir Alan Bates has said the Government's compensation schemes for victims of the Horizon IT scandal have been 'turned into quasi-kangaroo courts'. The former subpostmaster, who has campaigned for justice for colleagues, added that he has been offered compensation which he said amounts to less than half of his original claim. Writing in the Sunday Times, the 70-year-old said: 'The subpostmaster compensation schemes have been turned into quasi-kangaroo courts in which the Department for Business and Trade sits in judgement of the claims and alters the goal posts as and when it chooses. 'Claims are, and have been, knocked back on the basis that legally you would not be able to make them, or that the parameters of the scheme do not extend to certain items.' More than 900 subpostmasters were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their accounts. Many are still awaiting compensation despite the previous government announcing that those who have had convictions quashed are eligible for £600,000 payouts. The group litigation order (GLO) scheme was set up to achieve redress for the 555 claimants who took the Post Office to the High Court between 2017 and 2019. But Sir Alan, who was portrayed by actor Toby Jones in ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, said promises that compensation schemes would be 'non-legalistic' had turned out to be 'worthless'. He has also called for an independent body to be created to deliver compensation schemes for this and similar public sector scandals. Under the GLO, claimants can take a fixed sum of £75,000 or seek their own settlement. If there are disputes in individual cases, they are referred to an independent panel for review. Postmasters can also seek a final view from Sir Ross Cranston, a former High Court judge, if they believe the panel has got it wrong. Sir Alan was knighted last year for his services to justice, having founded the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance (JFSA). Last month, he sent an email to members of his group, calling on victims to take the Government to court over delays to financial redress, adding that a judicial review would 'probably be the quickest way to ensure fairness for all'. It is understood that 80% of postmasters in Sir Alan's group have accepted a full and final redress or been paid most of their offer. A Department for Business and Trade spokesman said: 'We pay tribute to all the postmasters who've suffered from this scandal, including Sir Alan for his tireless campaign for justice, and we have quadrupled the total amount paid to postmasters since entering government. 'We recognise there will be an absence of evidence given the length of time which has passed, and we therefore aim to give the benefit of the doubt to postmasters as far as possible. Anyone unhappy with their offer can have their case reviewed by a panel of experts, which is independent of the Government.'
