Hundreds of wrongfully convicted former sub-postmasters have yet to come forward and seek justice, according to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC)
Errors created by the faulty Horizon IT accounting system led the Post Office to wrongfully prosecute and convict sub-postmasters of fraud, theft or false accounting over the course of two decades. About 20 victims served time in prison, while others opted to plead guilty to avoid prison and many suffered financial ruin.
The CCRC has referred 70 convictions to the appeal courts, with 62 convictions overturned. In order to refer, the person concerned must choose to appeal and the Horizon evidence must have been essential to their conviction.
CCRC chair, Helen Pitcher said: ‘However, hundreds of potential applicants have still not come forward—whether that’s directly to the Court of Appeal or requesting a review from the CCRC.
‘Some might understandably still be traumatised by what has happened to them and to their loved ones, but we can help and we encourage them to contact us.’
A widely-watched four-part ITV drama this month about the scandal, Mr Bates v The Post Office, portrayed the work of James Hartley, partner at Freeths, whose team acted for 555 sub-postmasters with the Post Office eventually settling, issuing a formal apology paying £57.75m in compensation and agreeing to implement a compensation scheme for thousands of others.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told the BBC this week the Justice Secretary Alex Chalk is considering whether all the convictions could be overturned and whether the Post office could lose its prosecutorial powers.
Neil Hudgell, executive chairman at Hudgell Solicitors, who has acted for 73 wrongly convicted sub-postmasters, said he has received 50 enquiries since the ITV drama and hopes it will encourage more to come forward.
‘People may have left the jurisdiction, others may be elderly and not in touch with many people socially, and some may have died and kept what happened secret from their families because of the shame they felt at the time,’ he said.
‘Equally some may just remain fearful of entering any legal process that involves the Post Office.’
An ongoing statutory inquiry led by Sir Wyn Williams, the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, is due to conclude in the spring or summer.
