There have been many blogs regarding the post office scandal. Last night I watched Mr Bates vs The Post Office (Bates v Post Office Ltd (2019) and it is still difficult to comprehend the hundreds of sub-postmasters who were wrongly prosecuted which was later ruled a miscarriage of justice. Many suffered mental breakdowns, and sadly loss of lives. At the time of the events, with so many people accused of falsified accounting, the defence of a fundamental issue with the computer system Horizon. The biggest single series of wrongful convictions in British Legal History. A public inquiry established in 2021 with 93 criminal convictions quashed, over 3,000 additional postmasters compensated, more than £32.4 million paid in compensation to date.

What can we learn from this?

• To ensure a thorough, accurate and complete investigation.
• Witness statements to be factually correct.
• Adequate Corporate Governance – 4 Pillar’s – People, Processes, Performance, Purpose.
• Honesty.
• Accountability.

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