The Post Office Horizon Inquiry concluded with submissions from lawyers representing the sub-postmasters, former Post-Office CEO Paula Vennells, and the Post Office itself.
Lawyers representing the sub-postmasters stated that Horizon was the source of one of Britain’s greatest miscarriages of justice: a case of “untrammelled privilege, and contempt (by the Post Office) for their perceived inferiors.” Whitehall was also cited as a facilitator of the ‘wicked destruction’ of the sub-postmasters. The cause was not technical error, but human error.
Former senior lawyer for the Post Office, Jarnail Singh, was said to have “little understanding of prosecutor’s code and disclosure duties”. The cases were over-reliant on Horizon data, presented as infallible evidence. This was so intimidating to defendants that many pleaded guilty to ‘get it done’, such as Colin Smith. In some cases, there was no other evidence of criminal conduct.
Paula Vennells’ closing statement, delivered by her lawyer, denied responsibility. She did not want to ‘point fingers’, but argued she was failed by her senior executives, the lawyers, and the employees of Fujitsu, among others. This was met with laughs from the public gallery.
Many of those implicated in the scandal stated that they ‘did not know’, ‘cannot recall’ and ‘should not have been expected to know’. This trend was so prevalent in the summaries that Sir Wyn Williams, who was presiding over the Inquiry, referenced it in his closing words. Commenting on when his report will be published, he quipped, “I can hardly say ‘I can’t recall’, however, I will have to say I don’t know.”
A ‘comments board’ was set up in the inquiry’s retiring room, bearing notes from many who were involved in the inquiry. Some seemed to find optimism, one comment stating “I can’t believe how far we have come. Just happy that we are not alone.” Another wrote, “The Inquiry has brought hope to the survivors that their voices have been heard”. However, some used it as another way of expressing their frustration, simply stating “Show me the money”, “Pay up now” and “It’s not over until everybody gets their redress.”
The inquiry has lasted for over two years, and included hundreds of witnesses and hundreds of thousands of documents. The final report will not appear for ‘many months’.
