The Post Office Horizon IT scandal is one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation’s history, shaking people’s faith in the principles of equity and fairness that form the core pillars of our legal system.
As such, the Government has this week announced that hundreds of innocent postmasters who were wrongfully convicted due to the Horizon scandal will have their names cleared under new laws to be brought forward this year.
The blanket exoneration will overturn hundreds of convictions, brought about thanks to erroneous Horizon evidence, clearing the names of many people who have had their lives ruined. The Government has committed to making sure these convictions are overturned later this year, meaning victims do not need to wait unduly for the justice they deserve.
Once this legislation is passed and convictions have been quashed, individuals will be entitled to at least £600,000 in compensation to rebuild their lives.
We will also take action to ensure that the postmasters who played a crucial role in first exposing the Horizon scandal receive the compensation they deserve. These individuals – also known as the Group Litigation Order cohort – who did not receive a criminal conviction but paid out considerable sums of money because of the Horizon failures, will receive at least £75,000 in compensation upfront.
I agree with the Prime Minister that we "must do everything we can to exonerate and compensate these innocent people, and make sure they finally get the justice they deserve".
