ANNOUNCEMENT : ALL OF ROYAL MAIL'S EMPLOYMENT POLICIES (AGREEMENTS) AT A GLANCE (Updated 2021)... HERE

ANNOUNCEMENT : PLEASE BE AWARE WE ARE NOT ON FACEBOOK AT ALL!


Many postmasters still in the dark over justice

Latest Post Office® news.This is an open forum.
Post Reply
TrueBlueTerrier
FORUM ADMINISTRATOR
Posts: 69387
Joined: 30 Dec 2006, 10:29
Gender: Male
Location: Proud to be part of the Union

Many postmasters still in the dark over justice

Post by TrueBlueTerrier »

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59954980

The Post Office has been unable to contact 126 people who were convicted of crimes on the basis of evidence from the flawed Horizon computer system.

A total of 736 sub-postmasters were prosecuted over the course of 14 years for crimes such as theft and false accounting.

Those still to receive information about access to justice represent about one in six of those convicted.

Nick Read, Post Office chief executive, said all victims should be compensated.

The case is the most widespread miscarriage of justice in the UK, with some serving prison terms and facing humiliation in their communities for crimes they never committed.

Various avenues have been available to former sub-postmasters to claim payouts.

Those who lost money filling supposed gaps in their accounts - but which were in fact the result of bugs and defects in the computer system - have been able to claim through a historic shortfall compensation scheme.

Mr Read told MPs on the business select committee on Tuesday that the Post Office had offered compensation to 777 of the 2,500 postmasters who applied via that route.

He said he hoped that lawyers and staff working on the case can make offers to the all but a handful of the claimants by the end of the year.

Much of that money will need to be provided by the Post Office's sole shareholder, the government, and ministers have promised to fund the payouts.

"The Post Office itself doesn't have the financial resources to compensate a miscarriage of justice of this scale," he told the business, energy and industrial strategy committee.

So far, 72 convictions have been overturned.

Mr Read said that 66 of those people who have seen their convictions overturned have applied for an interim £100,000 payment designed to "bridge the gap" until a full settlement can be reached. Of these, 57 have received these payments, with negotiations and possible test cases earmarked to draw up the final settlements.

"It is my intention that we do give full and final compensation of all the victims of the past and their families," Mr Read said.

"There is an enormous amount of complexity associated with making sure we get absolutely right how we compensate those postmasters. And most importantly that it's full, it's fair and it's final."

Negotiations are also ongoing with 555 people who received a civil payout, and were excluded from the historic shortfall scheme. Much of their compensation was swallowed up by legal fees.

Business minister Paul Scully told MPs they were having to overcome huge mistrust in the system from those wronged over the course of 20 years in order for everyone to receive access to justice and compensation.
All post by me in Green are Admin Posts.
Any post in any other colour is my own responsibility.
If you like a news story I posted please click the link to show support
Any news stories you can't post - PM me with a link
"Employers are always seeking more productivity from workers, without considering the human factor, the worker's age, the weather conditions and the intense heat. We need to intervene before it's too late, reducing working hours and the load carried by workers, because it's impossible to sustain the rhythm they're forced to work at for many years."

Post Reply