Friday 23 April 2021

Postmasters' convictions to be overturned today by Court of Appeal


News as it happens, full report later on the Horizon Trial 'Post Office Scandal

- "biggest miscarriage of justice in history"

 

Live streaming on BBC News
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/business-56856193

And if you are permitted to watch live tv
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/live/bbcnews

 

FROM THE JUDGMENT 


UPDATE 4 May

I'm sorry I haven't had time to write more: I've been busy, but so has Nick Wallis and while he has supposed to be finishing his book at a hideaway in Devon, he has still been blogging. You can see all his posts on postofficetrial.com.  Just a few headlines from there:

23 April: Judgment Day - picture gallery 

26 April: Vennells' career ends in ignominy

28 April: Page and Marshall in the clear - these are the appellants lawyers who POL suggested had committed contempt by releasing the Clarke Advice to the Met Police and a journalist.

30 April: ITV commission 4-part drama series on the Scandal

1 May: the book.


15 comments:

  1. Let's hope these evil convictions are overturned, & that the poor innocent victims receive some sort of compensation.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank God it's over for those 39. Hopefully the way will be clear for them to sue the Post Office for malicious persecution. I hope this may now result in calls for a full Public Enquiry which will show The Post Office in its true colours. The damage this company has done to so many individuals lives should be fully accountable at the highest level.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Justice will only be served when senior Post Office management experience the slamming of a gaol cell door as they begin their own term(s) at one of Her Majesty's Prisons... just as they were happy to consign loyal Postmasters/Postmistresses despite knowing of the fallibility of the Horizon system.

    ReplyDelete
  4. About time too.

    As someone who worked in the criminal justice system, we always dreaded being in court when there was a post office prosecution listed.

    The Post Office and Royal Mail should never have been able to retain their prosecution rites after 1986. It must only be a matter of time before they lose them.

    Thank you Ian for keeping us up to date with events
    DP

    ReplyDelete
  5. These people were not only let down by the Post Office. Surely somebody inside the justice system should have noticed that the number of Post Office prosecutions had shot up? And how about Fujitsu? Surely somebody in that company had a conscience? And how about their union, whose top man sided with the Post Office?

    These people truly were alone and abandoned, and fully deserve now to have the whole of the rest of their lives put back on the level.

    ReplyDelete
  6. They will get their compensation, we will get higher prices to pay for it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It would seem that someone has forgotten that it’s Royal Mail that sets the prices on Mail.

      When did you last pay a fee to Post Office for anything?

      Delete
  7. Did I mention Mail?


    Popular services

    Savings
    Loans
    Mortgages
    Drop & Go
    Travel Insurance

    Essential services

    Everyday banking
    Post Office card account
    Bill payments
    Letters and parcels
    GOV.UK Verify

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry, when you said “ we will get higher prices” I thought you meant all of us as users of the mails, not the few who happen to use Post Offices for other services.

      You are right, they may have to increase fees, but the CEO has already said that the government will have to pay the compensation - POL has nowhere near enough money for that.

      Delete
  8. I was interested to know why 3 of them did not have their convictions quashed, but there is no summary of this in the media so I had to read the judgement.

    In short it appears that the two women did steal and never sought to claim Horizon was the cause of their accounting discrepancies so I am confused as to why they even bothered appealing. The man "borrowed" money from the PO to cover losses made by his shop and claims he intended to repay it; while Horizon inflated the amount of his shortfall he still acted dishonestly.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Seems ITV are going to make a drama based on the story.

    https://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/itv-commissions-post-office-scandal-drama-people-vs-post-office

    ReplyDelete
  10. Things seem to be moving forward
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57035924

    ReplyDelete
  11. The stories that will emerge in this saga, if fear will be horrendous for us to read and lean about, but that pales in to insignificance for who had to endure this abuse.
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57113342

    ReplyDelete
  12. Things are changing
    https://www.onepostoffice.co.uk/secure/latest-news/our-business/post-office-public-inquiry-update/

    ReplyDelete

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