More Horizon convictions referred to Court of Appeal

By Liz Wells in Industry News 8th June 2020

The Criminal Cases Review Commission has referred another eight postmaster Horizon convictions to the Court of Appeal, bringing the total to 47 referrals.

The faulty Horizon IT system caused significant variations in many subpostmasters’ accounts that led to hundreds having their contracts terminated by the Post Office, being forced into ‘paying back’ thousands in shortfalls from their own savings or being prosecuted and jailed. This was later accepted at a High Court case in December and a £58m settlement was agreed for more than 550 subpostmasters who brought the case against the Post Office.

Andy Furey, the Communication Workers Union, said: “The CWU continues to support postmasters in their ongoing fight for justice and for those responsible to be held to account, and the union is determined to ensure that prime minister Boris Johnson carries out his promise to hold a full public inquiry into this whole affair.”

This evening BBC 1 screens Panorama Special Scandal at the Post Office, an in-depth investigation into the Horizon case and its impact on postmasters, at 7:30pm.