The Greatest Miscarriages of Justice in Britain’s History

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$('.blur').html(` examination of Post Office leaders, Fujitsu (the software supplier), and former government officials.<br />
Sub-postmasters, known as managers, are self-employed individuals working for the Post Office which is government-owned. They play a crucial role in their local communities as they oversee Post Office branches throughout Britain. These trusted individuals as part of their duties, they are responsible for managing people’s savings and pensions.</p>
<p>The Post Office stood by its claim for a long time that the data generated by the faulty Horizon computer accounting system, which was created by Fujitsu and implemented in 1999, was trustworthy. However, they continuously accused sub-postmasters of committing theft but these were ignored. In the early 2000s problems with Horizon were being reported to the Post Office.</p>
<p>Despite these reports, in the following ten years, numerous sub-postmasters experienced the termination of their Post Office contracts, faced bankruptcy, or were imprisoned due to being convicted of embezzlement.<br />
According to a 2009 article by the trade magazine Computer Weekly, there were allegations of problems in Horizon software, which were accompanied by prosecutions of postmasters.<br />
Facing increasing scrutiny from the media and government officials, the Post Office initiated an inquiry into the matter. However, during a hearing with a parliamentary committee in 2015, The Post Office CEO Paula Vennells stated that there was no indication of any wrongful convictions.</p>
<p>In the latter part of 2019, a settlement was reached between the Post Office and 555 sub-postmasters who had filed claims. Nevertheless, numerous victims were dissatisfied with the compensation received as it was overshadowed by the costs of legal representation.<br />
According to the government, more than 2,700 claimants have received a total of approximately £138 million ($175 million) through three distinct compensation programs implemented by the Post Office.<br />
Despite this, numerous postmasters have not yet been compensated or had their convictions overturned.</p>
<p>In response to public outrage sparked by the T/V drama, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is taking action by proposing new legislation to overturn unjust verdicts, citing it as one of the most egregious examples of injustice in British history.<br />
According to the proposal, sub-postmasters will have the opportunity to reverse their convictions and seek compensation by signing a document.<br />
However, certain legal professionals have cautioned against the unique action of enacting laws to overturn convictions, as this could lead to politicians interfering in the impartial judiciary system. Such interference may pose a risk of future meddling in various matters.<br />
A former high court judge is heading an independent public investigation and collecting information from postal workers, the government, the Post Office, Fujitsu, and other sources. The inquiry is anticipated to be finished by the end of this year.</p>
<p>The Metropolitan Police of London has also stated that it is currently carrying out an inquiry into the Post Office regarding alleged fraudulent activities that may have led to wrongful prosecutions.<br />
As of now, there have been no consequences for any senior management at the Post Office or Fujitsu.<br />
Vennells resigned in 2019 after receiving a total of £4.5 million in salary and bonuses over seven years, which was before the Post Office decided to pay a settlement of 58 million pounds to 555 sub-postmasters.<br />
In the year 2021, she stepped down from her position on the boards of two retail companies following the exoneration of 39 sub-postmasters who had been previously convicted. She explained that her previous involvement with the Post Office had become a hindrance.</p>
<p>Following the uproar, and in light of the airing of the television drama and the controversy Vennells gave back her honor of Order of the British Empire (CBE), which was awarded in 2019 for her contributions to the Post Office and charitable work.<br />
The scrutiny has also been directed towards Ed Davey, who previously held the position of postal affairs minister. Despite currently leading the small party of Liberal Democrats, Davey declined to meet with sub-postmaster Alan Bates (a founder of the Justice for Sub-postmasters Alliance) in May 2010, citing in a written response that such a meeting would not have any beneficial outcome.<br />
According to Davey, he met Bates at a later time but did not interfere in any of the situations. He stated that the Post Office leaders deceived him.</p>
<p>Fujitsu, a company that still consistently secures numerous contracts from the British government, affirms its unwavering dedication to aiding an ongoing independent investigation. It has expressed remorse for its involvement in the controversy.<br />
It is hoped that the independent public investigation will uncover how much was known and by whom, at the time of the convictions. The demand from many British citizens is senior managers at the Post Office and Fujitsu should face criminal proceedings, and both organizations should be liable for significant financial settlements.<br />
How the victims can ever be appropriately compensated is difficult to estimate.`);

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<p>The Greatest Miscarriages of Justice in Britain’s History</p>
<p>The Scandal of Britain’s Post Office<br />
A recent British television drama ‘Mr. Bates vs The Post Office’ has brought to light one of the biggest cases of injustice in Britain, where between 1999 and 2015, over 900 Sub-postmasters were prosecuted for theft, false accounting, and fraud, when losses at their branches were in fact due to malfunctioning software in the Post Office’s Horizon accounting software. A number of those prosecuted were imprisoned, others lost their homes, and careers, experienced financial ruin, and four have committed suicide. The T/V drama has sparked widespread public outcry and calls for justice.</p>
<p>Both an independent investigation and a law enforcement inquiry are currently underway <span>to look into the controversy. This has resulted in a close</span></p>

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