JUSTICE! POST OFFICE VICTIMS WILL BE CLEARED

JUSTICE has finally been delivered for the hundreds of victims of the Post Office scandal as Rishi Sunak ordered their convictions should be overturned.

- Sam Lister

In a dramatic intervention, the Prime Minister vowed to "right the wrongs of the past" so victims get the justice they deserve.

After two decades of fighting, they could have their names cleared this year and handed compensation totalling £1billion. Payments of £600,000 will be handed to all those who are exonerated under unprecedented new laws that will be introduced in weeks.

Mr Sunak told MPs yesterday: "This is one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation's history.

"People who worked hard to serve their communities had their lives and their reputations destroyed through absolutely no fault of their own.

"The victims must get justice and compensation. We will make sure the truth comes to light, that we right the wrongs of the past and the victims get the justice they deserve." 

Hundreds of sub-postmasters were convicted of stealing money on the basis of evidence from the flawed Horizon accounting system.

Ministers said the Post Office showed "not only incompetence but malevolence" in the way it acted against them.

Public fury following the airing of ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office thrust the issue to the top of the political agenda after victims struggled for years to clear their names and secure proper payouts.

Ministers have now drawn up plans for new laws that will allow convictions to be overturned instead of victims having to make individual court appeals.

The plans are expected to be in place by the end of the year.

Mr Sunak also announced a £75,000 payment each for the 555 ex-postmasters involved in a group legal action led by campaigner Alan Bates against the Post Office.