Convictions quashed under the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences (Scotland) Act 2024: FOI release
- Published
- 9 October 2024
- Directorate
- Justice Directorate
- Topic
- Law and order, Public sector
- FOI reference
- FOI/202400431750
- Date received
- 12 September 2024
- Date responded
- 19 September 2024
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Information requested
How many people have the Scottish Government identified to have had their conviction quashed under the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences (Scotland) Act 2024?
Of those people identified, how many people have the Scottish Government been able to contact so far?
Response
The Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs has written to the Justice Committee since your request and this letter is published. It can be accessed here: Letter from Cab Sec JHA on the Post Office Horizon System Offences Scotland Act 2024 16 September 2024 (parliament.scot).
All sub-postmasters in Scotland who were convicted of a relevant offence were automatically exonerated when the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences (Scotland) Act 2024 ("the 2024 Act") came into force on 14 June 2024. I can confirm that the Scottish Government is currently assessing 141 cases to ascertain whether they are caught within the provisions of the 2024 Act.
I can confirm that to date the Scottish Government has notified two people whose conviction was quashed by the 2024 Act.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Contact
Please quote the FOI reference
Central Correspondence Unit
Email: contactus@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrews House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
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