Following the recent civil court judgements against the Post Office (POL):
While nothing should be allowed to detract from the scale of the Post Office's alleged misbehaviour which appears to be in a class of its own, people with knowledge of suspected abuses of process regarding railway prosecutions might similarly consider whether now would be an appropriate time to make similar contact (e.g. via their MPs) in support of such a review to include railway prosecutions.
The CCRC refers eight more Post Office cases for appeal – bringing total to 47 so far - Criminal Cases Review Commission
This release contains information about: Eight more Post Office cases to be referred by the CCRC bringing the total to
ccrc.gov.uk
Contact with Attorney General’s Office and Justice Select Committee
The CCRC has written to the Attorney General’s Office and to the Chairman of the Justice Select Committee proposing that a formal review should be conducted into when and how an organisation should be able act as a private prosecutor in cases where it is the victim as well as investigator of an alleged offence as the Post Office did in relation to the Horizon cases we have so far referred.
Paragraph 68 of the CCRC Statements of Reasons in cases referred to the Court of Appeal says:
“…in the context of POL’s combined status as victim, investigator and prosecutor of the offences in question – the CCRC considers that there are reasons for significant concern as to whether POL at all times acted as a thorough and objective investigator and prosecutor, ensuring that all reasonable lines of inquiry were explored. The CCRC further considers that this concern applies to POL’s approach throughout the period 2001 to 2013, that is, the timespan of the convictions which are considered in this Statement of Reasons.”
We have said to the Attorney General and the Chairman of the Justice Select Committee, that, while the Post Office Limited’s combined status as victim, investigator and prosecutor is not part of the legal basis of our referrals to the appeal courts, the CCRC is firmly of the view that a formal review should be conducted into when and how it ought to be permissible for prosecutions to be brought in such circumstances.
While nothing should be allowed to detract from the scale of the Post Office's alleged misbehaviour which appears to be in a class of its own, people with knowledge of suspected abuses of process regarding railway prosecutions might similarly consider whether now would be an appropriate time to make similar contact (e.g. via their MPs) in support of such a review to include railway prosecutions.