Hundreds of innocent sub-postmasters wrongly convicted as a result of the Horizon scandal will have their convictions quashed after landmark legislation was introduced today (13 March).
This blanket exoneration, delivered through the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill, will quash convictions brought about by erroneous Horizon evidence.
Affected sub-postmasters will receive an interim payment with the option of immediately taking a fixed and final offer of £600k.
Under the proposed Bill, convictions will be automatically quashed if they meet the following criteria:
- Were prosecuted by the Post Office or Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
- Were for offences carried out in connection with Post Office business between 1996 and 2018.
- Were for relevant offences such as theft, fraud and false accounting.
- Were against sub-postmasters, their employees, officers, family members or direct employees of the Post Office working in a Post Office that used the Horizon system software.
Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “While I know that nothing can make up for what they’ve been through, today’s legislation marks an important step forward in finally clearing their names.
“We owe it to the victims of this scandal who have had their lives and livelihoods callously torn apart, to deliver the justice they’ve fought so long and hard for, and to ensure nothing like this ever happens again.”
The government has also confirmed it will bring forward enhanced financial redress for postmasters who were not convicted, or part of legal action against the Post Office, but who still suffered considerably due to Horizon failures. These individuals, also known as the Horizon Shortfall Scheme cohort, will have the option to receive a fixed sum payment of £75k.
Those who have already settled for less money will have their redress topped up to this level bringing them in line with the successful approach taken for members of the Group Litigation Order group of postmasters.
The Department for Business and Trade will now be responsible for delivering the new Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme, which will make redress payments to those who have had their convictions quashed by today’s legislation. The aim is to have the scheme open for applications as soon as possible once the legislation has been passed.
The Bill will extend and apply to England and Wales. The government will continue to work closely with their counterparts in Scotland and Northern Ireland as they develop their own plans. Regardless of where or how convictions are quashed, redress will be paid to victims across the whole of the UK on the same basis.
The Horizon Compensation Advisory Board’s Chair, Professor Christopher Hodges, said: “The government has taken rapid and decisive action to address the widespread injustice to which we drew attention in December.
“We also welcome the government’s decision to take direct responsibility for delivering fair compensation to those whose convictions are overturned.”
