No ongoing risk to public
The Bar Standards Board is set to begin taking regulatory action against barristers involved in the Horizon scandal in the “next few months”.
A notice published by the regulator notes that it is now taking action following the conclusion of the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry in December 2024, and has “continued to assess the available evidence of potential breaches of professional obligations by barristers involved in the Post Office cases and related litigation.”
The BSB goes on to say that is is considering the “large amount of evidence” arising from the Inquiry, and is “likely” to move forward with action “in a number of cases” in the next few months. This plan would see cases brought before the bar’s independent tribunal “in the summer”, to determine whether disciplinary action is warranted.
The regulator does not, however, consider that any member of the bar presents an “ongoing risk to the public” that would require immediate intervention, although this evaluation might be updated if new evidence comes to light.
This work will take place alongside that of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, with the BSB’s “dedicated staff team” working on the Horizon cases “liaising closely with the equivalent team at the Solicitors Regulatory Authority.”
The SRA announced at the end of January that it is looking at a similar timeline for bringing cases with “some” action set to begin in the summer. The regulator also noted the “unprecedented” quantity of evidence, and that it was working on more than 20 investigations into firms and individual solicitors.
The Post Office Inquiry concerns the prosecution and conviction of hundreds of innocent sub-postmasters and postmistresses who were wrongly accused of theft, fraud and false accounting due to a defective IT system. Beginning back in 2020, the Inquiry is led by Sir Wyn Williams, a retired High Court judge, and heard closing argument in December last year, although is yet to publish its findings.
Up until March 2024 it accumulated costs of nearly £50 million, the vast majority of which has been spent on legal fees.