MPs Demand Urgent Action to Quash Post Office Capture Convictions
An influential committee of MPs has called on the government to create urgent legislation to quash convictions obtained using data from the Post Office's Capture software, the predecessor to the faulty Horizon IT programme. The Business and Trade Committee (BTC) also urged an investigation into the scale of this miscarriage of justice, highlighting that incomplete records suggest current confirmed cases may only represent "the tip of another iceberg."
Historical Context and Impact of Capture Software
The Capture accounting software was used by up to 2,500 Post Office branches in the 1990s, just before the infamous Horizon system was introduced in 1999. A government-commissioned report in 2024 indicated that Capture likely caused accounting errors, leading to wrongful convictions, debt, lost homes, and illness for many who attempted to cover imagined financial shortfalls. Following this, a state redress scheme for Capture victims who were not convicted opened last year, but legal attempts to overturn convictions are ongoing in the Court of Appeal.
Criticism of Fujitsu's Role and Lack of Redress Contribution
The committee sharply criticized Fujitsu, the Japanese multinational creator of Horizon, for contributing nothing to the cost of redress while continuing to benefit from substantial government contracts. Despite Fujitsu stating it has a moral obligation to contribute, no money has been paid or agreed upon, with committee chair Liam Byrne calling this failure "unacceptable." The total cost of redress payments is now around £2 billion, primarily funded by taxpayers, as the Post Office is state-owned. Byrne emphasized, "It is simply wrong that taxpayers are covering the costs for Fujitsu's sins while Fujitsu is still profiting from taxpayers' funded contracts."
Structural Failings in Redress Schemes
In a review of the three schemes set up for Horizon victims, Byrne noted "serious structural failings still blocking the road to justice." The scheme for those financially impacted by Horizon's wrongly generated shortfalls sees offers routinely overturned and significantly increased on appeal, with "stark disparities" between initial offers and eventual awards, indicating it is no longer fit for purpose. Fully assessed claims continue to exceed target timelines, and thousands of late claims await final offers. While a separate scheme for those convicted with Horizon data performs better, claimants still face administrative hurdles, and the committee recommended paying the effective guaranteed minimum £600,000 redress in full to all eligible claimants.
Progress and Responses from Fujitsu and Post Office
Overall progress has been made, with over 11,300 claimants receiving payments worth £1.44 billion. A Fujitsu spokesperson stated they are working with the UK government to adhere to voluntary restrictions on new contracts and are engaged in discussions about contributing to compensation. A Post Office spokesperson welcomed the committee's scrutiny, noting that 87% of eligible Horizon Shortfall Scheme applications have received offers, with £882 million paid, and they will review the recommendations while continuing to work with the Department for Business and Trade.
