A former senior Post Office lawyer, Jarnail Singh, is under investigation for allegedly covering up flaws in the Horizon IT system, which led to the wrongful prosecution of a pregnant subpostmistress, Seema Misra, in 2010. Misra’s incarceration was one among over 700 cases of subpostmasters between 1999 and 2015, wrongfully accused due to system errors. These miscarriages of justice have been highlighted as some of the most significant in UK legal history, with more than 100 convictions reversed by the Court of Appeal since then.

Misra was wrongly convicted of theft due to discrepancies reported by the Horizon system. It has now been brought to light that Singh knew of the system’s faults in advance of her trial, as evidence surfaced indicating he had saved and printed a report detailing these very issues. Further, emails suggest Singh was aware of the bugs but did not disclose this vital information during legal procedures.

Simultaneously, an inquiry into the scandal revealed a toxic culture within the Post Office, particularly among those investigating the errors. Instances came to the fore where operators, who pointed out faults in the system were marked as “enemies of the business”. Additionally, the inquiry emphasized the aggressive and adversarial approach taken by the Post Office investigation team, overseen by former Post Office senior lawyer Chris Aujard.

In a related development, a BBC report uncovered that a Fujitsu senior engineer, Gareth Jenkins, provided contradictory statements in court, despite being aware of the flaws in the Horizon system. His misleading testimony contributed to the wrongful convictions, including that of Misra. His actions are currently under review for potential perjury.

The ongoing inquiry, led by retired judge Wyn Williams, continues to explore the extent of wrongdoing and mismanagement involving the Horizon system, with aims to implement reforms to prevent future injustices. Meanwhile, efforts are underway to provide compensation to the affected parties, although many are still seeking justice.