Former Post Office boss hands back CBE as mass exonerations considered
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk tells MPs he is actively considering legislation which would exonerate all those wrongly convicted in the Horizon Post Office scandal
Ministers are considering legislation that would exonerate all sub-postmasters and mistresses wrongly convicted based on false evidence provided by the Post Office's Horizon accounting software.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk told MPs the idea is receiving "active consideration" after Nadhim Zahawi asked him to "bring in a simple bill to quash" all wrongful convictions "immediately".
The Post Office scandal saw more than 700 sub-postmasters convicted of fraud and theft after the Horizon system said there was money missing from accounts, leading to accusations that staff were stealing.
Mr Zahawi, when addressing Mr Chalk, told the Commons those wrongly convicted could not claim compensation until their convictions are quashed.
Meanwhile, former Post Office boss, who was chief executive officer from 2012 to 2019, has returned her CBE following a million strong petition to have it removed from her and the backlash that has followed the scandal.
Ms Vennells said she is "truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families".
The ex-Post Office boss explained she had so far maintained her silence over the Horizon scandal because she "considered it inappropriate" to comment during the statutory inquiry which is looking into what went wrong.
Ian Warren, a former sub-postmaster said that Ms Vennells handing back her CBE didn't go far enough.
Speaking to ITV News, he said: "She should be made to suffer like we did, she should be prosecuted and let the law take its course."
Watch the trailer for ITV's Mr Bates vs the Post Office
It comes after Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake told MPs on Monday that ways to overturn the convictions were being investigated, including possible legislation.
Mr Hollinrake suggested a solution could come about as early as this week after the government scrambled to take action after the miscarriage of justice was brought into the spotlight by the ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office.
The drama has been watched by almost 10 million people, a figure that is continuing to rise - and has sparked national outrage.
Mr Hollinrake said while "the scale of the problem is immense" the government would “leave no stone unturned” amid pressure to quash the convictions and speed up the awarding of compensation to those affected by the Horizon IT system error.
“We have devised some options for resolving the outstanding criminal convictions with much more pace,” the minister said.
Mr Chalk held a meeting with the judiciary after updating MPs on potential plans for legislation to quash all convictions and no significant challenges were raised.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “Those discussions have taken place, I don’t know if they have got any others scheduled.
“I’m not aware of any significant challenges being raised.”
Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said on Good Morning Britain the government recognises the "need to go further" in investigating how and why the scandal happened
Mr Chalk will first speak to senior figures in the judiciary, Mr Hollinrake said, but he expected ministers to announce the proposals “very shortly”.
The Post Office minister said he would be “very disappointed if we went past the end of this week in terms of giving more information”.
Mr Hollinrake said that “proper and thoughtful consideration” will also be given on how private prosecutions are undertaken “to make sure a scandal like this can never happen again”.
And he said that “full and final” compensation has already been paid to 64% of those affected, as he vowed that securing justice was his “highest priority”.
Justice minister Mike Freer told the Commons on Tuesday the government is "urgently working on the detail of how to clear the names of postmasters" and an update would be provided in due course.
Mr Hollinrake also suggested that Fujitsu, the firm behind the faulty accounting software that made it look like money was missing from shops, and anyone else shown to be responsible should be “held accountable including making any payments” into the compensation fund.
Tory former home secretary Dame Priti Patel raised the issue of Fujitsu being awarded millions of pounds of government contracts since the Horizon scandal came to light.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey was also on the offensive as he faces fresh scrutiny over his role in the scandal as postal affairs minister between 2010 and 2012.
He told broadcasters the “Post Office was lying on an industrial scale to me and other ministers”.
Sir Keir Starmer has called for prosecution powers to be stripped from the Post Office and previous convictions looked at again.
The Labour leader said: “I think that the prosecution should be taken out of the hands of the Post Office and given to the Crown Prosecution Service.
“And these convictions, the remaining convictions, need to be looked at en masse.”
Reports suggest 50 new potential victims have approached lawyers since ITV’s Mr Bates Vs The Post Office was broadcast.
The Post Office is wholly owned by the government and a public inquiry into Horizon is ongoing.
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