Post Office responds to postmasters’ appeals of historical convictions

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The Post Office has responded to the Court of Appeal regarding 25 applications by former postmasters for permission to appeal their convictions in Post Office prosecutions between 2002 and 2012.

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The Post Office is supporting the applications in 10 cases and opposing 15 after consideration of each case by its board.

Appeals of historical cases in which Post Office acted as prosecutor began in 2020 with referrals by the Criminal Cases Review Commission. On 23 April the Court of Appeal overturned 39 convictions in appeals supported by Post Office and upheld the safety of convictions in the three cases opposed by Post Office. Eight convictions have also been overturned by Southwark Crown Court in unopposed appeals.

A Post Office spokesperson said: “Post Office is sincerely sorry for past failures and we are making strenuous efforts to fairly address historical miscarriages of justice. This includes an extensive review of prosecutions since 1999 to identify and disclose all material which might affect the safety of convictions.

“We are also transforming our organisation to prevent such events ever happening again and to re-set our relationship with postmasters.”