Скачать или смотреть Exposing the driving force of the Post Office Scandal | ESRC Celebrating Impact Prize

The Post Office Horizon scandal saw hundreds of sub-postmasters wrongly convicted due to a faulty computer system, making it the largest miscarriage of justice in modern English history.

While the scandal started with a faulty computer system, failures by lawyers, executives and the criminal justice system played a critical role in perpetuating the injustice. The Post Office Project is investigating what went wrong and why, the impact on victims and their families, and what lessons can be learned by the legal system.

The team’s research revealed the widespread professional failings and misconduct of lawyers and Post Office executives, as well as the profound impact on the victims’ lives. They have shifted the narrative from being solely about a faulty computer system to showing the public the multiple factors involved, particularly the role of the lawyers. Their work has contributed to the Government’s decision to quash convictions from the scandal and is helping to reshape legal ethics to reduce the chance of similar miscarriages of justice in future.

The Post Office Project, led by Professor Richard Moorhead, University of Exeter, is shortlisted for the ESRC Celebrating Impact Prize 2024. The Prize, now in its 12th year, is an opportunity to recognise the success of ESRC-funded researchers in achieving and enabling outstanding economic or societal impact from their research.