It’s the largest miscarriage of justice in UK historical past, a long-running scandal that has seen greater than 700 sub-postmasters wrongly accused of theft attributable to an IT fault.
Nevertheless, this week the federal government lastly introduced a regulation to exonerate all these affected and compensate them. Many surprise why it took a tv drama to power him to behave.
The affected sub-postmasters had their lives ruined by false convictions, associated to a defect of the Submit Workplace IT between 1999 and 2015. Some had been pressured to repay the cash that they had not taken; others went to jail. 4 took their very own lives.
Justice has been gradual to return. In 2019, 555 sub-postmasters received a category motion towards the Submit Workplace, however are stated to have acquired solely round £20,000 every after prices. Some convictions had been overturned. A authorities inquiry has been established and is ongoing.
However it was a TV drama – Mr Bates vs the Submit Workplace, broadcast this month – that made the scandal a serious political difficulty, forcing the federal government to announce laws to exonerate all these affected.
Welcome, the undertaking comes with dangers. Legal professionals warn that may undermine the independence of the judiciary whether it is seen as a precedent for future circumstances.
Picture: Alice-photo/iStock
