The CCRC referred 39 sub-postmasters to the Court of Appeal, its largest single referral in history.
1. The Great Post Office Trial, episode 10, follows the Horizon scandal through the High Court settlement involving 555 sub-postmasters.
2. Presenter Nick Wallace documents claimants including Alan Bates, Joe Hamilton, and Seema Misra, whose testimony drove the legal challenge.
3. The episode argues that Horizon failures and institutional decisions turned computer discrepancies into prosecutions, financial losses, and damaged reputations.
4. More than 500 sub-postmasters sued the Post Office after losing jobs, homes, and life savings over Horizon account shortfalls.
5. Mr Justice Peter Fraser found Horizon insecure and prone to failures, stating that the suspected problems had occurred on numerous occasions.
6. The Post Office settlement covered tens of millions in legal costs but offered limited compensation and no admission of liability.
7. The 555 successful claimants shared a maximum of £12 million after costs, with an average of around £20,000 each.
8. Alan Bates said accepting the settlement protected claimants from the further financial risk of continuing the court case.
9. The Criminal Cases Review Commission referred 39 convictions to the Court of Appeal, later adding eight cases and reviewing about 500 more prosecutions.
10. For listeners interested in miscarriages of justice, institutional accountability, and investigative history.
