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The government has revealed new legislation that will clear the names of numerous subpostmasters who were unjustly affected by the Post Office scandal.
The new legislation will take effect in July and aligns with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s previous statement that convictions would be overturned.
From 1999 to 2015, over 700 branch managers of Post Offices in the UK were taken to court due to discrepancies in their financial records caused by the malfunctioning Horizon accounting software.
Their fight for fairness gained widespread attention through the television series “Mr. Bates vs The Post Office,” causing a stir of public anger.
On Thursday, Kevin Hollinrake, the minister in charge of the Post Office, stated that the “unprecedented action” will finally bring justice to postmasters who have been waiting for it for a long time.
He also mentioned that individuals affected by a subsequent Post Office IT controversy will be compensated for claims related to an accounting program, known as Capture, from the 1990s – preceding the Horizon software scandal.
Mr. Hollinrake released a written statement revealing certain aspects of the law, stating that it will invalidate convictions based on a specific and measurable set of standards.
He stated that the law will outline the prosecutor’s identity in applicable cases and will “annul these legal proceedings if the prosecutor is deemed untrustworthy.”
The majority of individuals faced legal action from the Post Office, while some were subjected to prosecution from organizations like the Crown Prosecution Service and the Department for Work and Pensions.
Convictions will need to relate to alleged offences during the period that the Horizon IT system was in use and to offences which relate to the scandal – for example theft and false accounting.
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Minister of Postal Services, Kevin Hollinrake, concurred that individuals affected by the Capture scandal should receive compensation.
In order to be eligible, the individual who was found guilty must have been employed at a Post Office that utilized the software. This includes being a subpostmaster, employee, officer, family member, or direct employee of the Post Office.
According to Mr. Hollinrake, the Government’s legislation could also absolve individuals who were actually guilty of a crime. He believes that this is a necessary sacrifice in order to overturn convictions for numerous innocent individuals.
The minister also stated that individuals affected by the Capture scandal should receive compensation if they have suffered harm.
During a questioning session with Labour MP Kevan Jones, it was brought up that overturning convictions cannot solely rely on the Horizon system.
The evidence I submitted to the public inquiry and sent to him yesterday shows that the scandal existed before Horizon in terms of Capture. It is important for them to be considered for both the compensation program and for convictions to be overturned.
Mr Hollinrake responded, saying that the issue of Capture has been raised frequently and they are eager to discuss it with him to ensure that any damages resulting from it are addressed in the compensation.
The Government is keen on passing the legislation quickly, with the goal of having it finalized by the end of July. This will ensure that postmasters who are still waiting for exoneration can receive compensation by that time.
Source: independent.co.uk
