Sunak announces new law to ‘swiftly’ exonerate Post Office victims

Rishi Sunak has announced the Government will introduce new laws to clear Post Office branch managers wrongly convicted in the Horizon IT scandal.

He told Prime Minister’s Questions that the legislation will mean those convicted “are swiftly exonerated and compensated”.

Mr Sunak was pushed to set out how the Government will acquit the hundreds of people accused of swindling money as a result of the flawed computer system.

They were victims of “one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation’s history”, he said.

“The victims must get justice and compensation.

“Today I can announce that we will introduce new primary legislation to make sure that those convicted as a result of the Horizon scandal are swiftly exonerated and compensated.” A new upfront payment of £75,000 “for the vital GLO group of postmasters” will also be introduced, Mr Sunak told the Commons.

The spotlight is also turning on IT giant Fujitsu, after its faulty accounting software Horizon helped lead to the conviction of more than 700 Post Office branch managers.