Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Post Office appoints Burges Salmon to advise on Horizon IT Inquiry

Post Office cash deposits and withdrawals

Post Office has announced the appointment of law firm Burges Salmon to advise it in relation to the ongoing Horizon IT Inquiry.

The appointment follows a decision by the Post Office board in January this year to appoint a new law firm.


Burges Salmon, working in an integrated team with Fieldfisher have significant expertise, having between them worked on most major public inquiries over the past 20 years.

Post Office said its current legal representatives for the Inquiry, Herbert Smith Freehills, are working to ensure a smooth transition, with Burges Salmon/Fieldfisher beginning preparatory work for later phases of the Inquiry.

“The Post Office is committed to providing full assistance to the Inquiry and the Post Office board decision was taken in consideration of costs, given the Inquiry is now due to run significantly longer than anticipated,” the company said in a statement.

“It also addresses any future potential risk of Herbert Smith Freehills being unable to assist on aspects of Phase 5 relating to matters in which it has been involved.”

Herbert Smith Freehills will continue to assist on other matters including the administration of the Historical Shortfall Scheme,” Post Office added.

Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, which is being chaired by Welsh judge Wyn Williams, is an independent public statutory Inquiry established to gather a clear account of the implementation and failings of the Horizon IT system at the Post Office over its lifetime.

They include when the Post Office knew about the IT flaws, how staff were made to take the blame and whether its governance and whistleblowing structures need reform.

The Inquiry has concluded the Phase 3 of its public hearings last month, and set to conduct the next phase in July.

The scandal saw the Post Office prosecute hundreds of people running small local branches for alleged false accounting and theft, after its IT system called Horizon reported shortfalls between 2000 and 2014.

Some of the subpostmasters were imprisoned or left out of pocket after being asked to make up the shortfalls, while others failed to find other jobs and lost their homes.

In 2019, the High Court ruled that Horizon was affected by bugs and defects, and courts have gone on to quash 86 convictions as of late April.

More for you

Fujitsu, the tech company at the heart of the UK's Post Office scandal

Fujitsu, the tech company at the heart of the UK's Post Office scandal

(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Campaigners slam government for handing £67m contract to Fujitsu

Post office Horizon scandal campaigners have slammed the government for extending a post-Brexit contract worth £67 million with the controversial firm Fujitsu.

A recent report by The Independent stated that His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has granted a year-long extension to Fujitsu, which developed the faulty software leading to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of subpostmasters for theft and false accounting, to run its Trader Support Service (TSS),

Keep ReadingShow less
Return to office boosts retail footfall, midweek shopping

Return to office boosts retail footfall, midweek shopping

High streets need to optimise for midweek office workers as Brits return to office, as shown by latest data on footfall, suggesting areas of focus for retailers such as extending trading hours in the evening and paying attention on grab-and-go meals.

According to the latest data from retail tech specialist MRI Software, retail footfall bucked seasonal trends in January, rising +1.4 per cent year on year across all UK retail destinations,

Keep ReadingShow less
Warning about illegal high-strength nicotine pouches.

Nicotine pouches

iStock image

Alarm raised over rise in illegal nicotine pouches

Experts have raised warning over illegal high strength nicotine pouches saying they could cause inadvertent overdosing and harm to teenagers and young adults.

According to a recent BBC report, there has been an alarming rise in illegal nicotine pouches containing potentially dangerous levels of nicotine.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Former Co-op top executive joins Asda ​

​Former Co-op top executive joins Asda ​

Supermarket Asda has announced the joining of Jo Whitfield in its board of directors as a Non-executive Director to support its turnaround plans.

Whitfield previously spent eight years at Asda from 2008 onwards, holding a number of senior positions in operations, e-commerce, commercial, general merchandise and money & mobile.

Keep ReadingShow less
Favourit kicks off 110th year with Ulster University collaboration

Pictured at the launch of the partnership is the culinary students with (centre back) Sean Owens, Ulster University, (front l to r) Michael Gillies, Ulster University, Laimis Minelga, Favourit and Favourit ambassador, Ian Hunter, Belfast Cookery School.

Favourit kicks off 110th year with Ulster University collaboration

is celebrating a landmark 110 years in business in 2025. In the first of a series of plans to be revealed throughout the year, Favourit has announced that it is collaborating with Ulster University to create a special award for aspiring leaders in culinary arts.

As part of this partnership, Favourit’s ranges will be incorporated into a BSc Culinary Arts Management module, offering students the opportunity to showcase their creativity and culinary expertise using the Belfast-based food company’s range of herbs, spices and seasonings.

Keep ReadingShow less