What is the Post Office Horizon bill and why is it controversial? – The Guardian

‘The Post Office (Horizon system) offences bill, published on Wednesday, will quash the convictions of people resulting from the scandal, which involved hundreds being wrongly prosecuted on the basis of a faulty IT system. Here the Guardian explains the thinking behind the bill and why it is controversial.’

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The Guardian, 13th March 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Post Office scandal victims convictions to be quashed – BBC News

‘A new law will be introduced on Wednesday to clear the names of the hundreds of sub-postmasters wrongly convicted in the Post Office scandal.’

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BBC News, 13th March 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Post Office scandal victim feels ‘survivor’s guilt’ after compensation – BBC News

‘Former sub-postmaster Jo Hamilton says she feels “survivor’s guilt” after settling with the Post Office over the Horizon IT scandal for an undisclosed sum.’

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BBC News, 5th March 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Labradoodle thief guilty of Donald Patience murder – BBC News

Posted March 1st, 2024 in animals, burglary, murder, news, theft by sally

‘A man who strangled a dog owner and then stole his pet labradoodle has been found guilty of murder.’

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BBC News, 29th February 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Suffolk couple stole £200K intended for disabled son’s care – BBC News

Posted February 26th, 2024 in benefits, carers, children, disabled persons, families, fraud, imprisonment, news, sentencing, theft by tracey

‘A couple claimed more than £200,000 for care for their disabled son, but kept the money to fund their own “extravagant lifestyle”.’

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BBC News, 25th February 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Proposed sentencing guidelines for aggravated vehicle taking and motoring offences unveiled – Solicitors Journal

Posted February 23rd, 2024 in consultations, dangerous driving, news, road traffic offences, sentencing, theft by michael

‘The independent Sentencing Council has published proposed sentencing guidelines for individuals convicted of motoring offences committed while driving vehicles without the owner’s consent.’

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Solicitors Journal, 21st February 2024

Source: www.solicitorsjournal.com

Ministers to press ahead with legislation to exonerate Post Office Horizon victims – The Guardian

‘Ministers have vowed to press ahead with legislation to automatically overturn convictions related to the Post Office Horizon scandal by the end of July.’

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The Guardian, 22nd February 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Stolen treasures – Counsel

Posted February 22nd, 2024 in artistic works, news, theft by sally

‘In August 2023, the British Museum issued a press release that set hares running in the art world. Two thousand assets from its permanent collection had been stolen or damaged. Some, it transpired, had gone missing in plain sight. This prompted a fast-moving review into the Museum’s security apparatus, resulting in the resignation of its director and the dismissal of members of staff implicated in a programme of digital heists. But most notable, perhaps, was the ire of public scrutiny that was raised in the wake of the scandal: how did the Museum drop the ball so critically that the security and integrity of its entire collection came to be compromised? The seriousness of the matter was compounded, no doubt, by the fact that the provenance of scores of the stolen pieces derived from other civilisations. As such, a decades-old debate has now reignited concerning the moral basis for the acquisition and continued custodianship over foreign cultural treasures.’

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Counsel, 19th February 2024

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

Horizon scandal: Five short-changed postmasters to get full compensation – BBC News

‘A small group of former sub-postmasters whose convictions were overturned have finally been told they will receive full compensation.’

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BBC News, 12th February 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Horizon scandal: post office operator cleared after years of suffering in silence – The Guardian

Posted January 26th, 2024 in appeals, computer programs, fraud, miscarriage of justice, news, postal service, theft by sally

‘A former post office branch operator who suffered in silence and endured humiliation after being convicted of fraud based on evidence from the faulty Horizon IT system has had her conviction quashed by the court of appeal.’

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The Guardian, 25th January 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Robert Craig: The constitutional implications of legislating to exonerate the Post Office sub-postmasters – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘Some commentators have claimed that the decision to expedite the process of formally exonerating the sub-postmasters potentially runs afoul of certain core constitutional principles, in particular the separation of powers. It has also been claimed that the “crown does not have a prerogative of justice but only a prerogative of mercy”. This blog considers and challenges those claims.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 16th January 2024

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Two men jailed on racist police officer’s evidence have convictions overturned – The Guardian

‘Two men who were framed by a racist and corrupt detective for the same offence he was later jailed for have had their convictions posthumously quashed by the court of appeal 46 years later.’

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The Guardian, 18th January 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Cat and dog theft set to be made criminal offence – BBC News

Posted January 19th, 2024 in animals, bills, criminal justice, government departments, news, theft by sally

‘The government is expected to back making stealing cats and dogs a specific criminal offence in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.’

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BBC News, 19th January 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Courts “could cope” with large number of Post Office appeals, says LCJ – Legal Futures

‘The courts “could cope” with a large volume of criminal appeals in the wake of the Post Office scandal, the Lady Chief Justice told MPs yesterday.’

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Legal Futures, 17th January 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘Dangerous path to go down’: four legal experts on the Post Office exoneration bill – The Guardian

‘The government’s decision to pass a law overturning the convictions of post office operators has left many lawyers and judges uneasy.’

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The Guardian, 11th January 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Update law on computer evidence to avoid Horizon repeat, ministers urged – The Guardian

‘Ministers need to “immediately” update the law to acknowledge that computers are fallible or risk a repeat of the Horizon scandal, legal experts say.’

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The Guardian, 12th January 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

SRA: No plans to act yet on Post Office scandal lawyers – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) could take action against solicitors over misconduct in the Post Office scandal before the public inquiry ends but has yet to see evidence that requires it.’

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Legal Futures, 10th January 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Post Office scandal could lead to rules change on private prosecutions – The Guardian

‘Rules to prevent companies taking private prosecutions in the way the Post Office went after innocent post office operators are being considered by the government.’

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The Guardian, January 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Were lawyers complicit in Post Office’s corporate governance failures? – Legal Futures

‘A solicitor who acted for three wrongly convicted sub-postmasters has questioned whether lawyers advising the Post Office’s board were more motivated by continuing the retainers than giving proper guidance.’

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Legal Futures, 8th January 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Ministers to meet to discuss Post Office Horizon scandal – BBC News

‘Ministers are to meet to consider possible ways of clearing the names of hundreds of sub-postmasters convicted in the Post Office Horizon scandal.’

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BBC News, 8th January 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk