I am pleased that this story has finally been picked up by the wider media (The innocent have paid a high price for the Post Office scandal. The guilty have not, 15 February). But what is not being made abundantly clear is that this is actually not a miscarriage of justice, it is far worse: the Post Office was absolutely aware that the Horizon system was flawed but still continued to (a) prosecute subpostmasters on a grand scale for the best part of 14 years, and (b) tell them that they were the only one. The Post Office also took substantial sums of money from the subpostmasters. This is theft and fraud. This is far more dishonest over a much longer period than anything done by Nick Leeson, as one example of many frauds. This was not victimless crime.
The Post Office has used every legal device it can think up to avoid any responsibility, thus continuing to ruin the lives of the subpostmasters. It has said that it cannot afford to pay the compensation, so it falls to taxpayers. I am happy that at least some of the tax I pay will be for a good cause. No one has been – or, I suspect, will be – held responsible or accountable. This is a very sad indictment of Britain today. I cannot describe how angry I am about this.
David R Lewis
Sittingbourne, Kent
• Marina Hyde discusses problems related to the raising of concerns about technological failures. Research shows that the two main reasons why people do not report alleged wrongdoing are fear of retaliation and that any wrongdoing identified will not be dealt with. UK whistleblowing legislation aims to “protect” workers, but only does so by providing remedies once detriment has been suffered. It does not compel employers to investigate concerns even when they are raised through their own procedures, or to rectify any wrongdoing. If we really want people to speak up in the public interest, it is imperative that we amend our law to comply with best practice in other countries.
Prof David Lewis
Head of the whistleblowing research unit, Middlesex University
• One aspect of the inquiry that appears to have been overlooked in the media coverage is what this says about our legal system and the extent to which it provides the opportunity for ordinary people to get a fair trial. Given that so many innocent people were found guilty, it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that this is evidence of ingrained and systemic bias in the system.
Dr Mark Seneschall
Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire
• Thank you, Marina Hyde, for your coolly furious and perceptive column. It is beyond comprehension that officials in the Post Office and the government have been able to destroy the lives of hundreds of innocent people while suffering no penalties. Though I have no connection with the case, I cannot help being ashamed that this was allowed to happen.
Ellie Weld
Twickenham, London
• I have the restorative justice solution. Those in the management hierarchy whom the inquiry finds culpable of what is being described as the worst injustice in living memory should be required, unpaid, to run a sub-post office for, say, a year using the legacy Horizon software. They should be obliged to donate personally a multiple of any accounting discrepancy reported to recompense the victims and/or to charity.
John Kelly
Little Raveley, Cambridgeshire
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