For over two decades, the Post Office Horizon scandal has captured headlines, with Computer Weekly at the forefront of exposing what has been termed as the most significant miscarriage of justice in UK history.
In 1999, the UK government, as the sole shareholder of the Post Office, initiated the automation of accounting processes across 14,000 branches. This automation involved the implementation of a centralized computer system supplied by Fujitsu, replacing traditional paper-based accounting methods.
However, issues arose as an increasing number of subpostmasters experienced unexplained accounting discrepancies. Instead of addressing these issues, the Post Office shifted the blame onto the branch operators, prosecuting many for financial crimes, leading to bankruptcies and job terminations.
What is the Horizon system?
The Horizon system is software initially developed by UK company ICL and later acquired by Fujitsu. It features an Electronic Point of Sale Service (EPOSS) that allows subpostmasters to input sales via a touchscreen, with automated accounting in the background. Launched in 1999/2000, it was one of Europe’s largest non-military IT projects at the time.
What problems were caused by the system?
Following the implementation of Horizon, subpostmasters experienced unexplained accounting shortfalls, which they could not trace back to a cause as they could with the previous paper-based system. The contractual responsibility for these shortfalls fell on the subpostmasters, making it challenging for many to prove their innocence without the paper trail.
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