Post Office Horizon scandal: Open letter to postmasters

From: Justice Secretary Angela Constance

To: Postmasters

The Horizon IT Scandal represents an unprecedented miscarriage of justice. Many of you have been profoundly impacted by it. The impact has not just been financial, we know that many of you lost your home and businesses and were made bankrupt. We are also aware of the toll it took on your mental and physical health.

The Scottish Government is clear that anyone wrongly convicted as a result of the defective Horizon IT system should have their conviction quashed, and as a result be entitled to UK Government compensation. This is why we introduced the Post Offence (Horizon System) Offences (Scotland) Bill, and why the Scottish Parliament acted to make sure it was passed quickly.

Whilst we cannot ever fully remedy the hurt and harm that have been caused, the Parliament’s decision clears your names and ensures swift access to the financial redress that you deserve.

On 14 June 2024, convictions are quashed if they meet the criteria set out in the Act.

In summary you are eligible if:

• your conviction(s) took place in Scotland before that date
• offences were carried out in connection with Post Office business between 23 September 1996 and 31 December 2018 (either wholly or partly within that period)
• your conviction(s) were for relevant offences such as embezzlement, theft, fraud or uttering
• offences were committed in connection with carrying on a post office business or working in a Post Office that used the Horizon system software

 Updating court and criminal records

At this stage you do not need to take any further action. We are working to identify individuals in Scotland whose convictions have been quashed by the Act, and will write to them in the coming weeks to inform them of the quashing of their convictions.

We will then provide details of convictions to the Scottish Courts & Tribunal Service (SCTS) and Police Scotland, and those agencies will amend court and police records to reflect the changes brought about by the legislation.

Claiming financial redress

If you have had your convictions quashed under this legislation you will be entitled to financial redress through a scheme being established by the UK Government, which we understand will be in place by the summer. Further information on how you can register for this scheme will be provided in due course.

When you should contact us

We will provide further updates on progress but expect that most relevant convictions will have been identified and letters sent by the end of July. If you have not heard from us by the beginning of August, we would encourage you to contact us  directly to ensure that your conviction has been considered.

To make us aware of your conviction, or for any further queries, please email: PostOfficeConvictions@gov.scot, 

If you prefer you can write to:

Post Office Convictions

Room GW14

Saint Andrew’s House

1 Regent Road

Edinburgh

EH1 3DG

Yours sincerely

Angela Constance

Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs