Two more Horizon convictions overturned

Southwark Crown Court today (9 June) formally acquitted two people in Horizon cases referred by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).

The Post Office, which acted as prosecutor in the cases from 2003 and 2005, said it did not contest the appeals.

“We are sincerely sorry for the impact of historical failures on the lives of the people affected,” a Post Office spokesperson said.

“We continue to take extensive action to fully address the past and to ensure past shortcomings can never be repeated. We have undertaken fundamental reforms to rebuild trust and forge a new relationship with our current postmasters.”

Appeals of cases began in 2020 following the ‘Horizon Issues’ judgment by the high court in civil group litigation and, to date, there have now been 74 historical convictions overturned. 28 appeals have been dismissed, abandoned or refused permission to appeal.

In addition, there has been one conviction overturned in a conceded appeal in which the Crown Prosecution Service was the respondent.

In February this year, the CCRC said it is reviewing 32 live Post Office cases.

As part of an extensive post-conviction disclosure exercise Post Office has identified a total of 706 historical convictions in cases it prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 in which Horizon computer evidence might have featured. Of these, a total of 102 have now been through the appeal courts.