Member's statement: Horizon Post Office Scandal
Member's statement by Mr Maolíosa McHugh on .
- MLA
- Mr Maolíosa McHugh
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 26 February 2024
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Horizon Post Office Scandal
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4230543
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I want to talk about the miscarriage of justice in the Horizon post office scandal. The details of the saga have been well publicised, thanks to a very successful ITV drama this year. In 1999, Post Office began the roll-out of its new IT system, Horizon. It soon became clear that Horizon was faulty, which made it appear as if money was going missing. Management and Post Office blamed the sub-postmasters, and, as a result, the accused were sacked and forced to pay money back, and many were wrongfully prosecuted. Hundreds of innocent postal workers were scapegoated in that way, including here in the North of Ireland. The injustice went on for years, with Post Office refusing to acknowledge that Horizon was to blame, despite repeated attempts by victims to raise complaints. The First Minister and I met victims of the post office scandal here in the North and heard of the impact on their lives and how their livelihoods and those of their families were completely destroyed.
They told us about how they were dragged through the courts and convicted of crimes they did not commit. Not only was their good reputation tarnished in their communities, but they were dismissed from their employment after many years of loyal service and, in some cases, faced financial ruin. Some of the victims told us that their health, including their mental health, suffered and that they developed disease as a result of the stress that they were under because of the false accusations.
The victims all agreed on what was needed in order to go forward: all convictions should be quashed and fair compensation provided to the victims. I welcome the announcement by the British Government and the legislation that has been brought forward, which will exonerate victims in England and Wales. However, because the Post Office is a reserved matter, it does not include the victims in the North of Ireland. I commend the call by our First Minister and the Minister of Justice to ask that the issue is addressed to ensure that the convictions are reversed and that the law is extended to the North of Ireland to cover the people here who should also be compensated for the losses that they have suffered over the past number of years.
381 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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