The Horizon Post Office Scandal all started In the late 1990s, when the UK Post Office introduced the Horizon IT system to modernize and safeguard its transaction processes. However, the system soon began to show discrepancies in many postmasters’ accounts, leading to accusations of theft and fraud. In the late 1990s, the UK Post Office launched the Horizon IT system to manage transactions and safeguard records. Soon, discrepancies in accounts led to accusations of theft and fraud. The Post Office blamed the postmasters despite their claims of system errors. This resulted in wrongful convictions and a major miscarriage of justice. They later exposed the system’s flaws, revealing one of the UK’s largest legal scandals.
Key figures in fighting the Horizon Post Office scandal include Alan Bates, who founded the Justice for Sub postmasters Alliance (JFSA). Seema Misra and Jo Hamilton, both wrongfully convicted, became prominent voices in the campaign for justice. Janet Skinner and Tom Hedges also had their wrongful convictions overturned. Investigative journalist Nick Wallis played a crucial role in exposing the scandal. Lord Arbuthnot used his political influence to support the cause. Legal experts Felicity Gerry QC and Paul Marshall were vital in challenging wrongful convictions. Their combined efforts revealed the Horizon system’s flaws and secured justice for many affected.
Horizon Post Office scandal: Government Pledges to Compensate Affected Victims
The final verdict in the Horizon Post Office scandal came in 2021 when the Court of Appeal overturned the convictions of 39 former sub-postmasters. These convictions, which included charges of theft and fraud, were deemed unsafe due to flaws in the Horizon IT system. The court’s decision recognized that the Post Office had acted improperly in prosecuting these cases. Following this ruling, the government pledged to compensate those wrongfully convicted and launched an independent inquiry to investigate the full extent of the scandal and ensure accountability.
The Horizon Post Office scandal impacted over 700 postmasters. Known as the UK’s most widespread miscarriage of justice, it lasted from 1999 to 2015.
