Sir Alan Bates has referred to as for these answerable for the wrongful convictions of sub postmasters within the Seize IT scandal to be “delivered to account”.
It comes after Sky News unearthed a report exhibiting Publish Workplace legal professionals knew of faults within the software program almost three many years in the past.
The paperwork, present in a storage by a retired pc professional, describe the Seize system as “an accident ready to occur”.
Publish Workplace: The misplaced ‘Seize’ information
Sir Alan stated the Sky Information investigation confirmed “yet one more failure of presidency oversight; one other failure of the Publish Workplace board to make sure [the] Publish Workplace recruited senior individuals competent of bringing in IT techniques” and administration that was “out of contact with what was occurring inside its organisation”.
The unearthed Seize report was commissioned by the defence workforce for sub postmistress Patricia Owen and served on the Publish Workplace in 1998 at her trial.
It described the software program as “fairly able to producing absurd gibberish” and concluded “cheap doubt” existed as to “whether or not any legal offence” had taken place.
Ms Owen was discovered responsible of stealing from her department and given a suspended jail sentence.
She died in 2003 and her household had at all times believed the pc professional, who was on account of give proof on the report, “by no means turned up”.
Patricia Owen (proper) was convicted in 1998 of stealing from her put up workplace department. She died in 2003
Adrian Montagu reached out after seeing a Sky Information report earlier this yr and stated he was really stood down by the defending barrister with “no cause given”.
The barrister stated he had no recollection of the case.
Victims and their legal professionals hope the newly discovered “damning” professional report, which can by no means have been seen by a jury, may assist overturn Seize convictions.
Learn extra: Post Office scandal redress must not only be fair – it must be fast
What’s the Seize scandal?
‘These individuals should be delivered to account’
Sir Alan, the main campaigner for victims of the Horizon Publish Workplace scandal, stated whereas “no programme is bug free, why [was the] Publish Workplace allowed to switch the monetary threat from these bugs on to a 3rd celebration ie the sub postmaster, and why did its legal professionals proceed with prosecutions seemingly understanding of those system bugs?”
He continued: “Whether or not it was incompetence or company malice, these individuals should be delivered to account for his or her actions, be it for Seize or Horizon.”
Greater than 100 victims have come ahead
Greater than 100 victims, together with those that weren’t convicted however who have been affected by the defective software program, have to this point come ahead.
Seize was utilized in 2,500 branches between 1992 and 1999, simply earlier than Horizon was launched – which noticed a whole lot wrongfully convicted.
The Legal Instances Overview Fee (CCRC), the physique answerable for investigating potential miscarriages of justice, is at present numerous Seize convictions.
A CCRC spokesperson informed Sky Information: “We’ve obtained functions relating to 29 convictions which pre-date Horizon.
25 of those functions are being actively investigated by case assessment managers, and two newer functions are within the preparatory stage and will likely be assigned to case assessment managers earlier than the tip of June.
“We’ve issued notices underneath s.17 of the Legal Attraction Act 1995 to Publish Workplace Ltd requiring them to provide all materials regarding the functions obtained.
“Up to now, POL have supplied some materials in relation to 17 of the instances and confirmed that they maintain no materials in relation to a different 5. The CCRC is awaiting a response from POL in relation to six instances.”
A spokesperson for the Division for Enterprise and Commerce stated: “Postmasters negatively affected by Seize endured immeasurable struggling. We proceed to take heed to those that have been sharing their tales on the Seize system, and have taken their ideas on board when designing the Seize Redress Scheme.”
