Minister desires ‘logical conclusion’ to evaluation of digital proof in mild of Put up Workplace scandal

An modification to the controversial rule that courts presume computer systems are dependable was previously proposed throughout a Home of Lords debate on 11 February.

Ever since 2019, when Sir Alan Bates and his fellow Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance members uncovered the Put up Workplace’s misuse of the rule to prosecute subpostmasters, there have been requires change.

The talk featured friends James Arbuthnot and Kevan Jones, who launched the modification, which units out to take away the presumption. The pair are long-time campaigners for justice for subpostmasters affected by the scandal.

Through the debate, an modification to take away the presumption that computer systems are dependable was moved by peer Shami Chakrabarti.

The presumption was launched in 1999, in part 69 of the Police and Prison Proof Act 1984. It enabled the Put up Workplace to prosecute subpostmasters utilizing unreliable proof and even no proof.

As Chakrabarti put it throughout the debate: “Below the outdated Part 69, a celebration in search of to depend on laptop proof needed to present that there was no improper use of the pc, that it was working correctly in any respect materials instances and that any faults didn’t have an effect on output.

“It allowed for courtroom guidelines to scrutinise laptop proof. Because the repeal of that very important safety, a common-law presumption of laptop reliability and accuracy has utilized, in impact reversing the felony burden of proof in some instances and resulting in severe hurt, most lately within the Put up Workplace Horizon scandal. A number of Justice Ministers have acknowledged this since 2018.”

Additionally learn: Courtroom rule that fuelled Put up Workplace’s prosecution rampage: All the pieces you might want to know

The 1999 change was, on the time, supported by the Put up Workplace, which had described the prosecution having to show the pc was working as “considerably onerous from a prosecution viewpoint”.

What adopted noticed a whole bunch of individuals wrongfully convicted of crimes as a result of they have been guilty for unexplained account shortfalls within the Put up Workplace branches, that have been truly brought on by errors on the Put up Workplace Horizon system. Many have been despatched to jail.

The federal government, panicked by ITV’s dramatisation of the Put up Workplace scandal, grew to become headline mainstream information, launched laws to overturn these convictions en masse, in 2024.

Arbuthnot instructed fellow friends that “proof derived from a pc is rumour. There are excellent explanation why we deal with rumour proof with warning. To confess rumour proof is a step in itself, however to presume that it’s dependable is a big stride past that.”

However what got here a day later, additionally within the Home of Lords, felt like the federal government supported change, though a authorities minister’s ambiguity means uncertainty stays.

Requested by peer Sal Brinton whether or not he and different ministers work collectively to make sure that “this modification occurs as quickly as doable”, fellow peer and minister Jason Stockwood stated: “I can verify to the noble Baroness that the division will work to attempt to make sure that involves its logical conclusion.”

Whereas ambiguous, IT professionals are united that the “logical conclusion” can be the removing of the presumption of courts that laptop proof is dependable.

Brinton stated: “Everybody in [previous debate], together with the minister, agreed that this have to be modified, not least following the Horizon scandal.”

Pc Weekly contacted the federal government for extra readability about Stockwood’s remark. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson stated: “We stay dedicated to making a justice system that works higher for everybody, which is why final 12 months we launched a name for proof to look at the usage of computer-generated proof inside felony proceedings. We’re fastidiously contemplating responses and can reply sooner or later.”

The division’s name for proof came to visit a 12 months in the past, in January 2025, when the federal government referred to as on consultants to information it on what wants to alter.

In the beginning of the modification debate on 11 February, Chakrabarti stated: “I hope my noble buddy the Minister will inform us what has come consequently [of the call for evidence], as a result of that’s too lengthy, I recommend.”

Through the debate, peer Jones stated: “I’m not against session, however I’m sorry, this authorities is hiding behind session. As soon as the session is completed, we then want motion, however that’s not taking place, not simply on this space, however in an entire host of different areas.

The Put up Workplace scandal was first uncovered by Pc Weekly in 2009, revealing the tales of seven subpostmasters and the issues they suffered as a result of Horizon accounting software program, which led to essentially the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British historical past (see beneath timeline of Pc Weekly articles in regards to the scandal since 2009).