Post Office called its Horizon system reliable, but 39 convictions were quashed.
It prosecuted sub-postmasters who ran its branches.
In 2000 Britain's Post Office rolled out Horizon, a system built by a British firm that Fujitsu took over in about 2002. Sub-postmasters reported shortfalls in their accounts they could not explain. Of those prosecuted, 42 later took their 2003 to 2013 convictions for dishonesty to the Court of Appeal. Many went to prison. One was sent to a young offender institution at 19.
On 23 April 2021 appeal judges wrote that the Post Office knew there were serious issues with Horizon's reliability. They called the prosecutions "an affront to the conscience of the court" and allowed 39 of the 42 appeals. In January 2024 a Fujitsu director told members of parliament: "We did have bugs and errors in the system." That May, Parliament passed a law quashing Horizon convictions that met its conditions.
The court found that the Post Office treated a shortfall on an unreliable system as proof of a loss, and acted as if the accused had to prove no money was missing.
One-minute true story. AI-generated illustration with narration by an AI voice.
When your system shows a difference nobody can explain, who has to prove where it came from?
What the captions say
- Post Office called its Horizon system reliable, but 39 convictions were quashed. But did you know what three judges called those prosecutions?
- In 2000, Horizon arrived at Britain's branch post offices, built by a firm Fujitsu later took over. The sub-postmasters running them began reporting unexplained shortfalls.
- Between 2003 and 2013, their employer, the Post Office, prosecuted 42 sub-postmasters, and they were convicted of dishonesty.
- One was sent to a young offender institution for six months. She was 19.
- Then a High Court judge found bugs in Horizon could make a branch look short with no cash missing.
- In 2021, three appeal judges wrote that the Post Office knew there were serious issues with Horizon.
- For its failures of investigation and disclosure, the judges called the prosecutions "an affront to the conscience of the court."
- 39 of the 42 appeals were allowed.
- In 2024, Fujitsu's Europe director faced lawmakers. "We did have bugs and errors in the system," he said.
