The Post Office Scandal Public Inquiry will publish the first part of its final report this summer, with its findings on compensation and the scandal's human impact to be made public “as soon as possible”.
The Inquiry, which lasted about three years, examined a scandal that went on for two decades and saw subpostmasters wrangly blamed and punished for accounting shortfalls.
It is described as the widest miscarriage of justice in uk history, and over 700 people have had Had Wrongful Convictions overturned as a result of it being fully expected.
Computer weekly first Reveled the Horizon Problems in 2009And have been investigating evr since, involved reporting of the Inquiry Since It Began Hearing Evidence in May 2022,
Inquiry Chair Wyn williams, who today made the announcing, said: “Throughout my investigations, I have heard how people have got have decided unimaginable hardship due to the impacts of the HORIZON SCADAL, From Wrongful Convictions and Financial Ruin to Broken Relationships and Severe Emotional Distress. is full, fair and prompt. “
He added that the people affected by the scandal should be at the heart of the inquiry. “It seems fitting that my conclusions on the suffering endured by so many, as well as the issue of redress, should be at the forefront of my report and published as SOON as SOON as FEASIBLY POSSIBLE POSIBLE Said williams.
After a high court view in 2019, when subpostmasters provided the Horizon Computer System they used was to Blame for Unexplained Losses, the first thing Campaigner Alan BatesNow sir Alan, said to computer weekly was that he wanted a statutory public inquiry into the scandal. He Got It in May 2021, When A Government Inquiry into the scandal was made statutory,
When Originally set up as a government department inquiry with the power to call witnesses, there wash outrage and accusations of whitewashing. But following pressure from subpostmasters and their supporters, the inquiry was put on a statutory footingWith a judge in charge and the power to call witnesses to give evidence.
The Inquiry was split into seven phases,
The Human Impact Hearings Were Shocking, Revealing the Extreme Suforing of People at the Hands of the post office. Other phases have revised that the post office had knowledge that the Horizon Software Had Bugs when Rolded Out, Prosecution Witnesseses Changed their statements When promoted by the post office, and lawers hid evidence during trials of subputmasters because it would have made their prosecutions unsafe. It has also also featured directions, politics and civil servants who, whather deliberately or not, contributed to the cover-up.
Following williams' Announcement, Sir Alan bats Said bringing forward the Findings Involving Financial Redress was vital. “It is good that things will start to appear, albeit in sections,” He said.
“The Chair is right in his comments, it is the priority in all this,” said bats. “I just hope it helps brings swift resolution to all the outstanding problems. We have to find, one way or another, a way of getting [financial redress] Done. “
The post office scandal was First exposed by computer weekly in 2009Revealing the stories of seven subpostmasters and the problems they suffred due to Horizon Accounting Software, Whoch LED to the Most Widespread miscarriage of just justice in British history.