Northern Ireland Post Office Scandal: 26 Convictions to be Overturned with New Legislation

Twenty-six postmasters in Northern Ireland, who were wrongly convicted in the Post Office scandal involving faulty computer software, will have their names cleared under new legislation.

Hundreds of sub-postmasters across the UK were prosecuted and some went to prison while many were financially ruined.

The scandal is considered the biggest miscarriage of justice in UK history.

Affected postmasters in the UK will have the option of accepting a fixed-sum offer of £600,000 after their conviction is quashed.

However, the Northern Ireland Executive does not have the ability to quickly address the 26 convictions within their jurisdiction, so the UK government will step in to help.

Postmasters in Northern Ireland may face longer delays in having their convictions quashed compared to those in England and Wales, which is unacceptable, according to Mr Hollinrake.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris announced that legislation will be amended to include Northern Ireland to deliver justice for victims as quickly as possible.

Lee Williamson, one of the 26 postmasters affected, ran a post office in Northern Ireland from 2003 to 2012 and was later convicted due to faulty Horizon system recordings of a £17,000 shortfall in his accounts.

The surprise announcement came after the issue was brought to light.

Mr. Williamson has been attempting to overturn his conviction for the past two years.

He was surprised by today's announcement as he was preparing for his Court of Appeal review, which was scheduled for this week.

He stated that his legal action was not motivated by money, but rather to seek answers about his prosecution.