Post Office to be Excluded from Horizon Compensation Process, Minister Confirms

The Publish Workplace will now not be accountable for administering compensation for victims impacted by the flawed Horizon software program.

Publish Workplace Minister Kevin Hollinrake made this announcement within the Commons on Wednesday afternoon, indicating a departure from the beforehand held duty.

Acknowledging a advice from the Enterprise and Commerce Committee, Minister Hollinrake said that the Division for Enterprise and Commerce, together with unbiased people, will now oversee the administration of redress for these affected. This choice comes within the wake of the Horizon system’s malfunction, which led to quite a few people being wrongly accused of fraud, theft, and monetary mismanagement.

Mr. Hollinrake elucidated, “I can announce in the present day that it is going to be the Division for Enterprise and Commerce slightly than the Publish Workplace which will likely be accountable for supply of this redress associated to the overturning of those convictions. Remaining selections on redress will likely be made by unbiased panels or unbiased people.”

Whereas 102 falsely accused sub-postmasters have seen their convictions overturned, a major variety of the roughly 700 convicted people are but to obtain justice.

Moreover, regardless of the acceptance of 1 advice from the Enterprise and Commerce Committee, one other was dismissed. The rejected advice referred to as for legally binding timeframes to be established for the supply of redress, a transfer Minister Hollinrake deemed counterproductive.

Explaining the rationale behind this choice, Mr. Hollinrake expressed considerations that imposing monetary penalties inside specified timeframes may impede the compensation course of slightly than expedite it. He emphasised the potential repercussions, suggesting that such penalties would possibly discourage forensic accountants and others helping postmasters from collaborating within the claims course of, thus slowing down the supply of redress.

“We really feel their proposed regime would have the other influence, it might imply probably imposing penalties on forensic accountants or others who’re serving to postmasters to arrange their claims,” he remarked.

The minister underscored the necessity to keep away from speeding postmasters into vital selections about their claims and supplied a perspective on making certain a good and thorough course of.

The revelation comes amidst a backdrop of upheaval for sub-postmasters whose lives had been marred by unfounded accusations and subsequent hardships arising from the Horizon debacle. Whereas this choice marks a major step ahead in rectifying previous injustices, it’s clear that challenges persist within the pursuit of complete redress for all affected events.