Scotland to quash up to 141 wrongful Post Office convictions

The Horizon scandal, involving the Post Office's faulty IT system, has led to the wrongful convictions of numerous sub-postmasters across the UK. In Scotland, the government has identified 141 cases that could be eligible for exoneration under new legislation that came into effect in June. This legislation aims to rectify the injustices faced by those wrongfully accused of crimes such as theft and fraud based on inaccurate data from the Horizon system. Despite the new law, the justice secretary has only reached out to two individuals to inform them of their overturned convictions. The Scottish government has stated that it expects to contact the majority of eligible individuals within the next two months. This delay has raised concerns among victims who are still awaiting updates on their cases. The Horizon system, developed by Fujitsu and introduced in 1999, was intended for accounting and stocktaking but was plagued by bugs that led to false financial shortfalls. Sub-postmasters who raised concerns about the system were often dismissed, resulting in severe consequences, including court cases and financial ruin. The scandal has been described as one of the largest miscarriages of justice in British history, prompting ongoing public inquiries and calls for accountability. The Scottish Parliament's introduction of legislation to automatically exonerate victims reflects a commitment to addressing these historical wrongs and ensuring that those affected receive appropriate compensation.