The Act
3.The use of tainted evidence provided by the Post Office in criminal cases across the United Kingdom is considered to have resulted in a miscarriage of justice which is unprecedented in recent history. All of the nations of the UK experienced cases where evidence using information obtained from the Post Office’s Horizon IT system infected the process of justice, with individuals pleading guilty to, or being found guilty of, offences they had not committed.
4.This Act, like the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024 which applies in respect of convictions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, takes the unprecedented and wholly exceptional step of providing a blanket exoneration for those affected.