A number of solicitors and law firms who were working on behalf of the Post Office/ Royal Mail Group during the Horizon scandal are being investigated, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has confirmed
Thousands of sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted or made to pay off debts based on information from the faulty Horizon accounting system between 2000 and 2015.
In a statement issued last week, the SRA said it expected ‘to be in the best position to take any meaningful action’ after the statutory inquiry but was keeping its position ‘under constant review. At the moment, we do not have evidence to show that any solicitor presents an ongoing risk to the public that needs to be addressed through urgent action’.
The SRA has powers to fine solicitors and law firms up to £25,000, and can refer cases to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Paul Philip, SRA Chief Executive, said: ‘Although the range of issues we are investigating is complex, the fundamentals are simple. The public expect solicitors to behave ethically.’
