LTB 594/20 - Post Office: Horizon Scandal - Six Convictions Overturned

[POSTMAN]

https://www.cwu.org/ltb/ltb-594-20-post ... verturned/

LTB 594/20 – Post Office: Horizon Scandal – Six Convictions Overturned
No. 594/2020

14th December 2020

Dear Colleagues

POST OFFICE: HORIZON SCANDAL – SIX CONVICTIONS OVERTURNED

Branches are advised that on Friday 11th December 6 former Postmasters who were wrongfully convicted as a consequence of the Horizon scandal had their convictions quashed at Southwark Crown Court. This is obviously very good news for the 6 victims and some sense of justice has finally been achieved after many years for these innocent people. We believe those wrongfully convicted now need to receive proper compensation from the Post Office or Government for having their lives ruined by this terrible scandal. The problem is, how can these victims be meaningfully compensated for the huge personal losses they have suffered – not just financially but to the distress and damage this caused to their reputations within the communities and their livelihoods?

As these particular 6 Postmasters were originally prosecuted in magistrates’ courts, their cases were heard in the Crown Court, whereas the other 41 people (a total of 47 cases were referred to the Criminal Cases Review Commission) were prosecuted in the Crown Court and therefore their appeals will be heard in the Court of Appeal on 22nd March 2021. The Post Office confirmed on 2nd October it will not oppose or contest 44 out of the 47 total cases. The CCRC tweeted the following on Friday:

“Great news from Sout[h]wark Crown Court – convictions quashed in all six of these @ccrcupdate Post Office Horizon referrals”

Very long, please see the link for more.