The Post Office IT scandal has unearthed profound struggles faced by subpostmasters, far beyond the problems tied to the controversial Horizon system. For two decades, those affected have fought tirelessly—through a £150 million High Court case, overturned criminal convictions, a public inquiry, and even a TV drama—to expose what many call one of the UK’s most significant injustices.
The ITV drama that aired in January 2024 brought even more attention to the issue, prompting former subpostmasters who experienced issues with another system, known as Capture, to share their stories. Like those who suffered with Horizon, these subpostmasters faced unexplained shortfalls, repaid alleged losses, and some even received criminal records. Around 2,000 subpostmasters operated under Capture in the 1990s, while every subpostmaster has been using Horizon since 1999. Now, another system, Ecco+, is also under scrutiny.
Take Steve Lewis from South Wales, who lost everything due to issues with Capture. Then there’s Steve Marston in Bury, who was convinced to plead guilty to theft and fraud, landing him a criminal record that ruined his life. Both men, along with others, have been advocating for their situations to receive the same attention as the Horizon cases.
In May 2024, an independent forensic analysis linked Capture to the shortfalls that subpostmasters faced. Just last week, the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) announced it would review convictions based on the Capture system, already looking at five cases and investigating eight more. This is in stark contrast to the lengthy process for Horizon, where it took the CCRC nearly 15 years to start addressing wrongful convictions.
Peer Kevan Jones, a former MP, has pushed for justice for Capture victims since the start of the year. After the public outcry following the TV drama, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to overturn around 1,000 convictions linked to Horizon through legislation, acknowledging the individual appeals that had already begun. Jones argued for equal treatment for Capture convictions so that no one should face a divided justice system.
In fact, last month, the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board, which Jones is part of, urged the government to act swiftly to reverse convictions tied to Capture. The Ministry of Justice stated that if the CCRC finds any convictions unsafe due to Capture, they would be sent to the Court of Appeal.
Peer James Arbuthnot has echoed similar sentiments, calling for a review of all Post Office prosecutions, asserting that unless there’s clear evidence of a crime, no conviction should stand. He has been an advocate for subpostmasters for years and emphasized the need for a reassessment of how prosecutions were handled by the Post Office.
Many view Capture as another scandal within a broader issue. The root problems arise from errors in technology and an institutional failure to address these mistakes humanely. Software glitches can happen, but the way the Post Office responded to such situations played a significant role in the resulting injustices.
Arbuthnot has stressed the urgent need for the government to act similarly to how it handled the Horizon situation, noting that any delay only prolongs injustice. Alongside this, the government is also looking into another system called Ecco+, which might have caused similar shortfalls.
Recently, the National Federation of Subpostmasters (NFSP) asked for a review regarding Ecco+. NFSP CEO Calum Greenhow reported positive engagement with government officials about the system, emphasizing its relevance to the subpostmasters’ struggles.
David Enright, a solicitor advocating for countless subpostmasters, insists it’s time to resolve all outstanding issues. He noted it’s crucial for the government and Post Office to clarify the situation before moving forward.
Sir Alan Bates, who spearheaded the fight for justice for over two decades, pointed out that all these systems—Horizon, Capture, and Ecco+—share a culture of failure at the Post Office. While Bates welcomed the focus on Capture and Ecco+, he stressed the urgency of addressing financial compensation for victims of the Horizon debacle.
The roots of this issue were uncovered by Computer Weekly in 2009 when it highlighted the struggles of seven subpostmasters affected by the Horizon software, igniting what has been deemed one of Britain’s most significant miscarriages of justice.
