Parcel firms face new rules to improve customer service – The Independent

‘The watchdog unveiled plans to impose new rules on the sector, requiring companies to treat their customers more fairly, following a damning study.’

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The Independent, 9th December 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Wrongly convicted post office workers need compensation now, inquiry told – The Guardian

‘The independent inquiry into how hundreds of post office workers were wrongfully accused of theft, fraud and false accounting as a result of computer errors has been urged to demand immediate compensation for those affected.’

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The Guardian, 8th November 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Post Office scandal inquiry urged to put more focus on the lawyers – Legal Futures

‘The inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal has been urged to put more focus on the role of lawyers in perpetuating the organisation’s intransigence over the IT system’s problems.’

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Legal Futures, 10th September 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Efobi v Royal Mail Group Limited: The burden of proof and drawing of inferences in discrimination claims – Littleton Chambers

‘The Supreme Court has delivered a unanimous and emphatic judgment on the burden of proof in discrimination claims. The decision has confirmed that the Claimant bears the initial burden of proof to establish a prima facie case, and so restored the orthodoxy that had been disturbed by the ruling of the EAT earlier in these proceedings. It also offers some useful guidance on the drawing of adverse inferences.’

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Littleton Chambers, 23rd July 2021

Source: littletonchambers.com

Wrongly convicted Post Office workers to get up to £100,000 interim payouts – The Guardian

‘Post Office workers who have had their convictions for theft, fraud and false accounting – the result of computing errors – quashed will each get an interim compensation payment of up to £100,000 the government has said.’

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The Guardian, 22nd July 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Appeal court quashes 12 more convictions in Post Office IT scandal – The Guardian

Posted July 20th, 2021 in appeals, computer programs, false accounting, fraud, news, postal service by sally

‘The court of appeal has cleared 12 more former post office operators who were wrongly convicted of offences because of the Post Office’s defective Horizon IT system.’

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The Guardian, 19th July 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Post Office Horizon scandal: More subpostmasters cleared – BBC News

‘The Court of Appeal has cleared 12 more former subpostmasters who were wrongly convicted of offences during the Post Office Horizon scandal.’

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BBC News, 19th July 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Statutory inquiry announced for sub-postmaster scandal – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 20th, 2021 in computer programs, false accounting, fraud, inquiries, news, postal service by tracey

‘The government has acceded to calls to put the inquiry into the Post Office scandal on a statutory footing – but several questions are likely to be left unanswered for the wrongfully convicted sub-postmasters.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 19th May 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Former subpostmasters expected to have names cleared after court appeal – The Guardian

‘Dozens of former subpostmasters who were convicted of theft, fraud and false accounting because of the Post Office’s defective Horizon accounting system are expected to finally have their names cleared.’

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The Guardian, 23rd April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Post Office scandal: What the Horizon saga is all about – BBC News

‘A group of former sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses, who say they were victims of a massive miscarriage of justice, are awaiting a ruling by the Court of Appeal.’

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BBC News, 22nd April 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Recommendations for the probity of computer evidence – Digital Evidence and Electronic Signature Law Review

Posted December 18th, 2020 in computer programs, disclosure, electronic filing, evidence, news, postal service by sally

‘This paper sets out recommendations for a two stage disclosure process in an attempt to avoid the problems with disclosure of computer data/material in court proceedings, problems that have been exposed in two cases in England: the Post Office Horizon scandal, and the case of the nurses in R v Cahill, R v Pugh.’

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Digital Evidence and Electronic Signature Law Review, 18 (2021), 18-25, 15 December 2020

Source: journals.sas.ac.uk

The Cautionary tale of the postman, the application for relief and not enough money? Diriye v Bojaj [2020] EWCA Civ 1400 – Park Square Barristers

‘This credit hire appeal case was heard in the Court Of Appeal on 15 October 2020 with judgment being handed down on 4 November. It was heard by Lord Justice Coulson who gave the leading judgment, Lady Justice Davies and Lady Justice Rose agreeing.’

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Park Square Barristers, 13th November 2020

Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk

Diriye v Bojaj [2020] EWCA Civ 1400: ‘Signed For’ deliveries and deemed service – Littleton Chambers

‘In Diriye v Bojaj [2020] EWCA Civ 1400, the Court of Appeal handed down an important judgment clarifying the scope of the deemed service provisions in CPR 6.26 in the context of signed for deliveries. The Court held that a “Signed For 1st Class” delivery would still be deemed served “on the second day after it was posted” in accordance with CPR 6.26, regardless of the date on which it was actually signed for and received.’

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Littleton Chambers, 11th November 2020

Source: littletonchambers.com

‘Signed For 1st Class’ service is first-class post, CA rules – Litigation Futures

Posted November 23rd, 2020 in appeals, civil procedure rules, documents, news, postal service, service, solicitors by sally

‘The Royal Mail service ‘Signed For 1st Class’ is first-class post or equivalent for the purposes of the deemed service provisions of the CPR, the Court of Appeal has ruled.’

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Litigation Futures, 23rd November 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Robustness of software – Digital Evidence and Electronic Signature Law Review

Posted November 18th, 2020 in computer programs, employment, fraud, interpretation, news, postal service by sally

‘In the English civil court case Bates v Post Office Limited (Bates 2019), the properties of the Post Office Horizon transaction-processing system were investigated and argued.’

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Digital Evidence and Electronic Signature Law Review, June 2020

Source: journals.sas.ac.uk

Death and Notices – Nearly Legal

Posted November 12th, 2020 in landlord & tenant, news, notification, postal service, service, succession by tracey

‘Gateway Housing Association v Personal Representatives of Ali & Anor (2020) EWCA Civ 1339. In which the Court of Appeal grapple with the requirement to serve a copy of a notice to quit on the Public Trustee, when serving notice on the personal representative of a deceased tenant.’

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Nearly Legal, 8th November 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Three for the Price of One: A Case Note on Diriye v Bojaj – Ropewalk Chambers

Posted November 10th, 2020 in delay, news, personal injuries, postal service, sanctions, service by sally

‘Diriye v Bojaj [2020] EWCA Civ 1400, handed down on 4 November 2020, was a procedural appeal in a credit hire case. It raised a point about pleading allegations of impecuniosity in such cases alongside two points of wider application: whether the Royal Mail “Signed For 1st Class” service is covered by the description “First class post (or other service which provides for delivery on the next business day)” in CPR 6.26; and the proper approach to applications for relief from sanctions under CPR 3.9.’

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Ropewalk Chambers, 5th November 2020

Source: www.ropewalk.co.uk

Court of Appeal considers service of notices on deceased tenants – Garden Court Chambers

Posted November 10th, 2020 in landlord & tenant, news, notification, postal service, service, succession by sally

‘In Gateway Housing Association v Begum [2020] EWCA Civ 1339, Nick had been instructed to act for the occupier, Mrs Begum, in the County Court. Her husband had passed away and – as the landlord considered that no one was entitled to succeed the tenancy – Gateway posted a notice to quit to the premises. Because of the requirements of section 18 of the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1994, Gateway also posted a copy of the notice to the Public Trustee a few days later.’

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Garden Court Chambers, 22nd October 2020

Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk

Royal Mail fined for late letters and overcharging – BBC News

Posted July 13th, 2020 in consumer protection, fines, news, postal service by sally

‘Royal Mail has been fined £1.5m by the regulator for being late with first class deliveries and overcharging customers for second class stamps.’

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BBC News, 10th July 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Council persuades High Court judge to quash judgment in default in data breach claim after papers posted to empty office during lockdown – Local Government Lawyer

Posted July 2nd, 2020 in coronavirus, default judgments, news, postal service, service by tracey

‘The High Court has quashed a judgment in default awarded against the London Borough of Tower Hamlets because pandemic restrictions had made it impossible to the council to receive the claim concerned.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 2nd July 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk