Horizon IT Scandal: Postmasters await justice today

[BlasterBates]

I see that the postmasters are suing the PO.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/p...ndal-c690n5v0p

The Post Office, which has an 11,000-strong network of postal offices, fell to the annual loss after settling some litigation with postmasters, who operate local post offices, and setting aside £153 million so that current and former postmasters who have not yet done so can sue the organisation.

and it looks like compensation will increase substantially.

https://inews.co.uk/news/post-office...-system-969681

The barrister who led that civil claim called today’s judgment an “incredible victory” that could pave the way for more substantial compensation.

[Abbot]

Are there any details out there as to how the Horizon system managed to make these mistakes and what the double entries were that led to these people needing to pay money over that they hadn’t actually stolen?

[ladymuck]

Are there any details out there as to how the Horizon system managed to make these mistakes and what the double entries were that led to these people needing to pay money over that they hadn’t actually stolen?

There's some info here:

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/...Horizon-errors

I think a lot of the issues that Second Sight uncovered were kept under wraps so it's unlikely we'll get to the real technical details.

[BlasterBates]

Sounds like the whole system was riddled with bugs.

https://www.private-eye.co.uk/pictur...n-the-post.pdf

By 2006 at least 15 separate bugs had been found, with names such as “network banking bug”, “data tree build failure discrepancies” and “phantom transactions”

One problem was the ATMs not updating the system correctly so it appeared as if the Postmaster had embezzled the cash.

[NotAllThere]

I've worked on many systems over the last nearly 30 years, big and small. There's not one for which I would be able to take the stand and swear, under oath, that it couldn't have made an error. The fact anyone felt able to do that, for any system of any complexity at all, is a red flag right there.

As soon as I read about the first case, and the Fujitsu drone said it wasn't possible it was an IT failure, I knew the whole thing stank.

It is absolutely and provably impossible to demonstrate any computer system is error free. Gödel's Halting Problem.

Are there any details out there as to how the Horizon system managed to make these mistakes and what the double entries were that led to these people needing to pay money over that they hadn’t actually stolen?

Not all transactions recorded, meaning the till totals did not match what the computer said, leaving the sub postmasters iiable for the shortfall.

It's also worth checking out the legal framework behind the prosecution of these victims. The PO has its own investigation unit, among other things. Almost literally a law unto themselves.

[eek]

Paula Vennells has resigned form the boards of Morrisons, Dunelm and is stopping (for the moment at least) being a priest

[cojak]

Well, she should be stopped from being on the boards of companies in future, certainly.

[Eirikur]

Paula Vennells has resigned form the boards of Morrisons, Dunelm and is stopping (for the moment at least) being a priest

As the job of a priest is to tell lies and fairy tales, I'm not surprised anymore this happened

[vetran]

It's also worth checking out the legal framework behind the prosecution of these victims. The PO has its own investigation unit, among other things. Almost literally a law unto themselves.

Yes its changed from a government run organisation with suitable powers and now its independent but kept the powers. A bit like Customs & Excise gifting the revenue the powers to break your door down at 3am.

[anonymouse]

Ms Vennells said: "I am truly sorry for the suffering caused to the 39 sub-postmasters as a result of their convictions which were overturned last week."

Erm, there's a few more than that though, love. They might not have had the cash to fund the case, for some reason, such as paying back bogus fraud money