Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to remove the power of the Post Office to bring private prosecutions.

The Post Office scandal is the biggest miscarriage of justice in our history. That is why this Government announced on 10 January its intent to overturn wrongful convictions and ensure swifter access to compensation for hundreds of innocent post-masters and mistresses.

Whilst the vast majority of Horizon cases were prosecuted by the Post Office, some were pursued by other prosecutors, including the Crown Prosecution Service. The Post Office does not have a specific power to bring private prosecutions. It did so under the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985, the same right as other third party organisations, such as the RSPCA. The Post Office has not brought any such prosecutions since 2015.

Sir Wyn Williams’ Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry is examining in detail the failings that led to the Post Office scandal. It would not be appropriate for Government to pre-empt the findings and recommendations of the Inquiry, which are due later this year, by pursuing changes at this time.

We are, however, examining the wider question of private prosecutions and the Government is therefore committed to looking again at the Justice Select Committee’s recommendations in their 2020 report as part of this work.