Convictions of 12 people from Northern Ireland in Post Office scandal quashed

Rebecca Black (PA)

The convictions of 12 people from Northern Ireland caught up in the Post Office scandal have been quashed, Justice Minister Naomi Long has said.

Hundreds of subpostmasters and mistresses across the UK were handed criminal convictions between 1999 and 2015, as Fujitsu’s faulty Horizon system made it appear as though money was missing at their branches.

The number affected in Northern Ireland is thought to be 26.

Earlier this year, the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024 was passed into legislation.

It is to ensure that all convictions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are overturned automatically providing they meet the statutory criteria.

On Thursday, Ms Long provided an update on the quashing of convictions of subpostmasters in Northern Ireland.

She indicated that to date her department has identified 12 individuals whose convictions have been quashed by the Act.

She said the department has sent correspondence to notify them accordingly.

The convictions of a further 14 people are still under active consideration.

Ms Long said: “I am delighted that 12 persons have now had confirmation their convictions have been quashed and that these will be removed from their records.

“Those who were wrongly convicted and accused of wrongdoing as part of the Horizon IT scandal have spent years accused of false allegations.

“I hope by having their convictions quashed and their records updated, they get some sense that justice has been served.”

In the cases of the remaining 14 individuals, the department said limited or no information is held by the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland due to the passage of time and records being disposed of in line with retention and disposal schedules.

Ms Long said: “My department has sought information from the Post Office Ltd in respect of 14 other individuals and it is anticipated that information will be shared with us in the coming weeks to enable us to make a determination on whether those convictions were quashed by the legislation.

“I would encourage anyone who believes they have a relevant conviction and has not received a letter to date to make contact with the department so their convictions can be reviewed.”

The Justice Minister added: “Whilst no amount of financial redress can fully compensate for the years of stress and suffering that subpostmasters have experienced, I hope it goes some way to alleviating any financial hardship being experienced. I encourage those who think they are eligible to apply to the scheme.”