A former cabinet minister has stated that hundreds of sub-postmasters convicted in the Post Office Horizon scandal should be able to submit a collective appeal.
Sir David Davis, who intends to question ministers on the matter, stated that “no real reason” existed why a “mass case” could not occur.
Additionally, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has stated that every case should be reconsidered.
On Monday, ministers convened to deliberate on strategies for expunging the names of numerous sub-postmasters.
Over 700 Post Office branch managers were found guilty of false accounting, larceny, and fraud between 1999 and 2015, on account of the flawed Horizon software.
Numerous sub-postmasters were destitute financially, and some were unjustly incarcerated. Since then, some have passed away.
Although it has been dubbed the most pervasive miscarriage of justice in British history, only 93 convictions have been overturned to date, and of those, only 30 have reached “full and final” compensation agreements; thus, a significant number of victims continue to contend with the legal system in an effort to clear their reputations.
In approximately 54 instances, the appeals process has been terminated, convictions have been upheld, individuals have been denied permission to appeal, or the appellant has withdrawn.
Post Office Scandal Fallout
A public inquiry has been ongoing since the scandal became public knowledge. However, last week’s ITV drama Mr. Bates vs. The Post Office has brought the matter back into sharp focus.
Sir David stated that the response to the scandal had been galvanized by the drama. “There are now tens of millions of people who care about this – care a lot,” according to him. “They’re furious in many cases.”
Currently, each case is assessed on an individual basis; however, Sir David stated: “Every case hinges on a solitary lie, namely that only the postmasters and mistresses had access to their computers.” We now understand that to be false. There’s no reason to rule out a mass case or appeal on that basis.”
Kevan Jones, a Labour MP, and Sir David are among those anticipating the opportunity to scrutinise a minister. This will happen during the House of Commons’ first session since the Christmas recess on Monday.
Ms. Felstead, a former sub-postmistress, cautioned against a mass exoneration. She stated that while the process of assisting former sub-postmasters must be accelerated, this should not occur in large numbers.
As a former head of the Crown Prosecution Service, Sir Keir stated, “We have prosecuted for other departments. We can do the same here; that should be completed immediately.”
Furthermore, it is imperative that the remaining convictions be examined collectively.
Government Response to Post Office Scandal
The government-owned Post Office prosecuted its sub-postmasters. This is legal in England and Wales, and its solicitors presented the evidence in court.
The circumstances in Scotland and Northern Ireland are distinct.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has stated that the government is examining alternatives, such as eliminating the Post Office’s involvement in the appeals process, and is also investigating ways to expedite the compensation procedure, which has been criticized for moving too slowly.
A petition that advocated for the revocation of former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells’ CBE in connection with the scandal garnered over one million signatures on Monday.
Mr. Sunak, according to the representative for the prime minister, would receive the support of the prime minister if the Post Office honours committee considered revoking Ms. Vennells’ CBE.
In prison over the scandal, sub-postmistresses Tracy Felstead and Janet Skinner recommended Ms. Vennells to renounce her CBE.
To be impartial, Ms. Skinner stated that if she possessed any decency, she would simply return the item.
Calls for Accountability in Post Office Scandal
Ms. Vennells has previously expressed her sincere remorse for the anguish inflicted upon the families of erroneously prosecuted sub-postmasters.
She stated, “I maintain my utmost support and concentration on cooperating with the [public inquiry]; further commenting would be unsuitable while it is ongoing.”
Furthermore, Ms. Felstead expressed her desire for accountability to be restored.
According to her, the Post Office classified us as criminals. They must now be investigated to determine who was aware of what, why, and when this incident occurred.
The Metropolitan Police are investigating the Post Office for fraud related to the prosecutions.
On Monday, the advisory council responsible for victim compensation reiterated its demand that the convictions of all Post Office employees falsely accused of theft and false accounting be overturned.
Professor Chris Hodges, the organization’s chairman, stated, “We have reached the consensus that the most rational course of action is for parliament to pass a straightforward act overturning all of them, as that is what is evident and right.”
His contention was that the reversal of every conviction would not infringe upon the judiciary’s independence.
Debating Mass Exoneration Concerns
Prof. Hodges said no one would protest that the government violated anyone’s human rights in this situation.
He said he would be “very astonished” if the judiciary did not share his fury and humiliation. Therefore, I do not believe a constitutional issue exists.”
Prof. Hodges stated last month that although “a small minority” was “certainly genuinely guilty of something,” “delivering justice to the majority” would “benefit from acquitting a few guilty people (who have already been punished).”
Ms. Felstead, a former sub-postmistress, cautioned against a mass exoneration. She stated that while the process of assisting former sub-postmasters must be accelerated, this should not occur in large numbers.
She advised, “I believe we must be extremely cautious that we don’t simply turn over the convictions of everyone. Just in case that one individual has committed a crime and you’ve already handed over their sentence.”
A spokesperson for the Post Office has previously stated that the organization shares the public inquiry’s objectives. Their aim is to establish accountability and uncover the truth about what went wrong in the past.
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