Bosses of the Post Office and technology firm Fujitsu have been questioned by MPs over what has been described as the biggest miscarriage of justice in UK history.
More than 900 sub-postmasters and postmistresses were prosecuted after faulty software wrongly made it look like money was missing from their branches.
Victims of the Post Office scandal have been promised swift exoneration and compensation by the government.
Victims of the Post Office scandal have been promised swift exoneration and compensation by the government.
The Post Office had prosecution powers and, between 1999 and 2015, it prosecuted 700 sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses – an average of one a week – based on information from a computer accounting system called Horizon. Another 283 cases were brought by other bodies including the Crown Prosecution Service.
Some went to prison for false accounting and theft. Many were financially ruined, even though they had repeatedly highlighted problems with the software.
After 20 years, campaigners won a legal battle to have their cases reconsidered. To date only 93 convictions have been overturned. Under government plans, victims will be able to sign a form to say they are innocent, in order to have their convictions overturned and claim compensation.
Bosses of the Post Office and technology firm Fujitsu have been questioned by MPs over what has been described as the biggest miscarriage of justice in UK history.
Victims of the Post Office scandal have been promised swift exoneration and compensation by the government.
More than 900 sub-postmasters and postmistresses were prosecuted after faulty software wrongly made it look like money was missing from their branches.
Victims of the Post Office scandal have been promised swift exoneration and compensation by the government.
Victims of the Post Office scandal have been promised swift exoneration and compensation by the government.
The Post Office had prosecution powers and, between 1999 and 2015, it prosecuted 700 sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses – an average of one a week – based on information from a computer accounting system called Horizon. Another 283 cases were brought by other bodies including the Crown Prosecution Service.
Some went to prison for false accounting and theft. Many were financially ruined, even though they had repeatedly highlighted problems with the software.
After 20 years, campaigners won a legal battle to have their cases reconsidered. To date only 93 convictions have been overturned. Under government plans, victims will be able to sign a form to say they are innocent, in order to have their convictions overturned and claim compensation.
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