The Government has tabled amendments to expand the territorial extent of the Post Office Offences Bill. Convictions resulting from the Post Office Horizon scandal in Northern Ireland will now be within scope.
This blanket exoneration will automatically quash convictions brought about by the scandal, including 26 in Northern Ireland, clearing the names of many people who have had their lives ruined.
As in England and Wales, convictions in Northern Ireland will need to meet a set of criteria before they are quashed, including:
Postal Affairs Minister Kevin Hollinrake said:
” We always carefully consider the territorial extent of each piece of legislation and are rigorous in our commitment to devolution. However, it has become apparent that the Northern Ireland Executive does not have the ability to rapidly address the 26 convictions known to be within its purview.
It has become clear that postmasters in Northern Ireland could have their convictions quashed significantly later than those who were convicted in England and Wales, which would be unacceptable.
This follows the decision to introduce landmark legislation – which is making its way through parliament – to quash the convictions of hundreds of innocent sub-postmasters wrongly convicted as a result of the Horizon scandal. This will speed up the financial redress process – where we are offering a £600,000 fixed sum which can be administered quickly for those who accept it.”
16/05/2024 - More...
There are a number of rules and regulations that you must be aware of when you employ staff for the first time. HMRC’s
16/05/2024 - More...
An overseas company must register with Companies House if they want to set up a place of business in the UK. This would
16/05/2024 - More...
An employee can obtain a benefit when provided with an employment-related cheap or interest-free loan. The benefit is
With our newsletter, you automatically receive our latest news per e-mail and get access to the archive including advanced search options!
» Sign up for the Newsletter
» Login