A new law to quash the convictions of around 700 Post Office scandal victims will be introduced, Rishi Sunak said today.
The premier said the government is determined to ‘right the wrongs’ as he made the dramatic announcement at the first PMQs of the year.
Mr Sunak said the primary legislation – being brought forward within weeks – will ensure that people are ‘swiftly exonerated and compensated’. The aim is for victims to get money, potentially £600,000 each, by the end of the year.
More than 700 Post Office branch managers were convicted after faulty Fujitsu accounting software called Horizon made it look like money was missing from their shops.
So far just 93 have been able to clear their names in the courts, leaving hundreds unable to claim compensation.
Under normal circumstances, the Criminal Cases Review Commission would look at the individual convictions and potentially send them to the Court of Appeal, a glacial process.
However, Parliament will now legislate a blanket exoneration, although there will be safeguards for genuine cases of fraud.
Mr Sunak said the scandal had taken place ‘over decades’ and with ‘multiple people at fault’.
‘Today I can announce that we will introduce new primary legislation to make sure that those convicted as a result of the Horizon scandal are swiftly exonerated and compensated,’ he said.
‘We will also introduce a new up-front payment of £75,000 for the vital GLO (group litigation order) group of postmasters.’
A new law to quash the convictions of around 700 Post Office scandal victims will be introduced, Rishi Sunak said today
Mr Sunak said he was determined to ‘right the wrongs of the past’
Mr Sunak told the Commons: ‘This is one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation’s history.
‘People who worked hard to serve their communities had their lives and their reputations destroyed through absolutely no fault of their own. The victims must get justice and compensation.’
He told MPs that business minister Kevin Hollinrake will set out ‘more details to the House shortly’.
He added: ‘We will make sure that the truth comes to light, we right the wrongs of the past and the victims get the justice they deserve.’
Keir Starmer welcomed the announcement, while saying Labour would examine the detail.
Senior judges apparently did not raised any ‘significant challenges’ during talks with Justice Secretary Alex Chalk yesterday on measures to fast track the process of exonerating victims.
Mr Chalk told MPs ‘active consideration’ was being given to the idea of legislation to clear the names of those affected by the ‘appalling injustice’.
But Government sources said that the unprecedented scale of the Horizon scandal could require the extraordinary step of blanket legislation to clear the names of those affected. Mr Chalk said there were ‘truly exceptional circumstances’.
In a round of interviews earlier, postal services minister Mr Hollinrake said a blanket exoneration of convictions would be a ‘very significant step’, but the government recognised the scale of the miscarriage of justice.
A new law to quash the convictions of around 700 Post Office scandal victims could be announced as early as today (file picture)
In a round of interviews this morning, postal services minister Kevin Hollinrake said a blanket exoneration of convictions would be a ‘very significant step’, but the government recognised the scale of the miscarriage of justice
Some senior lawyers yesterday raised concerns about the precedent that might be set by Parliament directly overturning court rulings.
Former attorney general Dominic Grieve described the idea as a ‘parliamentary interference in the judicial process of our country’ while former Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas told the BBC there was a ‘real chance’ that blanket legislation could result in some genuinely guilty people being cleared.
But two former justice secretaries said the scale of the miscarriage of justice justified exceptional measures.
Sir Robert Buckland called for legislation to bring justice to ‘the victims and their families’.