10 January 2024 , 13:13
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The shocking Post Office scandal devastated the lives of hundreds of Brits who were wrongly convicted of crimes they never committed - and now the PM has announced the victims will finally be 'swiftly exonerated and compensated'.
After the scandal was turned into a gripping ITV drama, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, the spotlight has been put back on the UK's worst-ever miscarriage of justice - which unfolded almost 25 years ago. Despite the Government's promise to resolve and compensate sub-postmasters affected, only 93 have had their convictions quashed so far.
Over 700 Post Office workers were accused of theft and fraud between 2000 and 2015, when software errors on the organisation's new accounting system Horizon led to false financial discrepancies. Over 230 staff were jailed, including a pregnant woman, four committed suicide and 33 died waiting for justice.
Why haven't convictions been quashed?
Hundreds of victims have spent two decades attempting to fight wrongful convictions after the judge ruled that IT was at fault for the Post Office scandal in 2019. Today, on Wednesday 10, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced at Prime Minister's Questions that wrongly convicted sub-postmasters will be cleared under a new law.
He made the long-awaited announcement and told MPs: "Today I can announce that we will introduce new primary legislation to make sure that those convicted as a result of the Horizon scandal are swiftly exonerated and compensated. We will also introduce a new up-front payment of £75,000 for the vital GLO (group litigation order) group of postmasters."
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He described it as "one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation's history" and said people who worked hard for their communities had their "lives and reputations destroyed through absolutely no fault of their own".
Mr Sunak said more details would come shortly from Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake, who is expected to address MPs this afternoon. The PM added: "We will make sure that the truth comes to light, we right the wrongs of the past and the victims get the justice they deserve."
On Sunday 7, the PM tried to explain that the Government had experienced "legal complexity" to exonerate the victims. Mr Sunak said: "The Government has paid out about £150 million to thousands of people already. Of course, we want to get the money to the people as quickly as possible, that's why there are interim payments of up to, I think, £600,000 that can be made. There are three different schemes available and for anyone affected they should come forward."
Former sub-postmaster Lee Castleton said last week that victims of the Horizon scandal are "traumatised" and it is "like a war" to try and get compensation. Mr Castleton explained: "It has been a long time of 25 years and £135million has been paid to some of the victims, but we have had £150million-plus paid to lawyers. These lawyers are putting lots of pressure and it is difficult. The schemes are difficult."
The Post Office's former CEO Paula Vennells has handed back her CBE in light of the public outcry (BBC)Where is victims' compensation?
In September 2023, the Government announced that every postmaster wrongfully convicted in the Post Office Horizon scandal would be offered £600,000 in compensation to settle their claim. But it's been a slow-moving process for victims and campaign leader Alan Bates wants payments to be fast-tracked before it's too late for some.
"Get moving with the compensation," Mr Bates told The Mirror. "Don't extend the deadline for payments because you can't extend people's lives. They haven't even received offers yet. It's madness." He says some have been suffering for over 20 years because claims are delayed in the legal process.
"It's held up in the system and I know the Government says it's the lawyers who are holding it up, but it's not the claimants' lawyers, it's Government lawyers. It's money they are owed," he said.
The Post Office, which has a number of different compensation schemes, says it is continuing to make payments. A statement reads: "We're doing all we can to right the wrongs of the past, as far as that is possible, and to date offers of compensation totalling more than £138million have been made to around 2,700 postmasters, the vast majority of which have been agreed and paid. Interim payments continue to be made in other cases which have not yet been resolved."
The Department for Business and Trade added: "We have made funding available to ensure all victims of the scandal can deservedly receive compensation. All those who have their Horizon convictions overturned are offered £600,000 in compensation."
Has anyone been punished?
So far, no Post Office or Fujitsu executives have been punished or held accountable for the faulty system. Paula Vennells, who was CEO of the Post Office from 2012 to 2019, insisted the Horizon system was "robust" during her leadership. She left her position just before the High Court judgement and walked away with more than £400,000 in pay and bonuses.
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In 2019 she was awarded a CBE for her services to the Post Office. On Tuesday 9, Vennells said she will hand back her CBE with immediate effect. In a written statement, she said: "I have so far maintained my silence as I considered it inappropriate to comment publicly while the inquiry remains ongoing and before I have provided my oral evidence. I am, however, aware of the calls from sub-postmasters and others to return my CBE.
"I have listened and I confirm that I return my CBE with immediate effect. I am truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the Horizon system. I now intend to continue to focus on assisting the inquiry and will not make any further public comment until it has concluded."
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