The first part of the long-awaited final report into the Post Office Horizon scandal will be published on Tuesday, marking a crucial milestone in Britain's worst miscarriage of justice. More than 900 subpostmasters were wrongfully prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after faulty software made it appear money was missing from their accounts.
The devastating impact destroyed countless lives, with many subpostmasters bankrupted by legal action and sent to prison for crimes they did not commit. They were wrongly convicted of theft and false accounting due to errors in Fujitsu's Horizon IT system that the Post Office failed to acknowledge for years.
Compensation struggles continue
Tuesday's publication will focus on the devastating impact on victims' lives and the troubled compensation process that has left many still awaiting full redress. The various compensation schemes have faced fierce criticism from victims who describe them as unfair and difficult to navigate.
Lead campaigner Sir Alan Bates has previously condemned the processes as "quasi-kangaroo courts". The issue of financial redress remains a persistent concern for subpostmasters who continue to fight for proper compensation years after their convictions were overturned.
Inquiry findings revealed
Retired judge Sir Wyn Williams, who chairs the inquiry, will make a public statement following the report's publication. The probe was established in 2020 and has heard evidence from numerous witnesses about the Horizon system, Post Office governance and the legal action taken against innocent subpostmasters.
The Department for Business and Trade has defended its compensation efforts, stating the Government has "quadrupled the total amount paid to affected postmasters". Officials say more than £1 billion has now been paid to over 7,300 claimants to provide "full and fair redress".
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
