Cole-Hamilton: Use emergency legislation for fastest route to justice for Scottish subpostmasters

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today called on SNP ministers to find the fastest route to justice for Scottish subpostmasters and to consider bringing emergency legislation which mirrors the UK Government’s new law to quash wrongful convictions in England and Wales.

The UK Government will today introduce the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill to clear the names of the hundreds of subpostmasters wrongly convicted in the scandal. However, the legislation will only apply to victims in England and Wales.

Mr Cole-Hamilton is now calling for the Scottish Government to consider initiating emergency legislation in the Scottish Parliament which would mirror the UK Government’s law immediately after it passes. Mr Cole-Hamilton has highlighted that by passing it as emergency legislation, the Scottish law could be fast-tracked to ensure victims aren’t left behind.

It is estimated that around 100 subpostmasters in Scotland were convicted after being wrongly accused of embezzling money from the Post Office.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said:

“As one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in legal history, it is essential that we take urgent steps to get justice and compensation for the victims of the Horizon scandal.

“Now that ministers know the UK Government’s legislation will not apply to Scotland, they must do everything in their power to find the fastest route to justice for Scottish subpostmasters.

“Specifically, I would like to see ministers exploring emergency legislation to pass an equivalent law. This would enable the Scottish legislation to mirror the final UK law and come into effect as quickly as possible so victims in Scotland aren’t left behind.

“Lives and livelihoods have been devasted by this appalling scandal; we simply cannot afford any further delays to justice. The Scottish Government has given assurances that Scottish subpostmasters will have their convictions quashed, so they must now put in the work to fast-track this and get subpostmasters the justice and compensation they deserve.”