Post Office Horizon IT Public Inquiry – Inquiry Chair published Volume 1 of his Inquiry Report

Category: News

Published: 11 July 2025

Post Office Horizon IT Public Inquiry – Inquiry Chair published Volume 1 of his Inquiry Report

InquiryPic As a firm, Livingstone Brown has been heavily involved in fighting for justice for Subpostmasters and victims embroiled in the Post Office Horizon IT scandal. Indeed, the Specialist Litigation Team has been involved in the quashing of Scottish criminal convictions in the Criminal Appeal Court, has represented a Core Participant in the Public Inquiry, and continues to act for countless subpostmasters in Scotland in their claims for financial redress under the various Post Office compensation schemes. Our client, and Core Participant in the Public Inquiry, Susan Sinclair, was the first in Scotland to have her conviction quashed following a criminal trial in 2004 which relied upon faulty Horizon evidence and her story was featured as part the ‘human impact’ section within Volume 1 of the Inquiry’s Report which was published earlier this week.

Associate, Christie Allan, has been at the forefront of the firm’s work in the Public Inquiry and has fought to ensure that the Scottish perspective is heard and accounted for. She continues to provide advice to those now seeking compensation, and she attended the Inquiry’s launch event on Tuesday 8 July at the Kia Oval in London for the publication of Volume 1 of the Inquiry’s Report.

At the event, Inquiry Chair, Sir Wyn Williams, addressed attendees on his recommendations at this stage; his submissions are available to watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av7NO2zGApoon, and a summary of his report can be found here: Homepage | Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry

The first volume of his report focuses on the human impact of Post Office scandal, as well as the adequacy (or inadequacy) of the various compensation schemes set up to provide redress to victims affected. Following Sir Wyn Williams’s assessment of those topics during the Inquiry, he has made 19 urgent recommendations in his report, which include:-

Written responses to the Inquiry’s recommendations to be provided by 10 October 2025 by the UK Government, Post Office and Fujitsu.
Department of Business and Trade (‘DBT’) to make a public announcement explaining what is meant by ‘full and fair financial redress’ – the Inquiry has established that there is a need to establish an agreed definition.
Horizon Shortfall Scheme (‘HSS’) to provide for legal advice funded by DBT – particularly for choosing between acceptance of the scheme’s fixed sum offer or opting for individual assessment of the claim.
Claimants should have up to 3 months after receiving their first assessed offer to decide whether or not to accept the offer or the fixed sum award.
Senior lawyers to be appointed to HSS with powers to ensure offers are full and fair (appropriate powers to be discussed with Horizon Compensation Advisory Board, Dentons, Sir Gary Hickinbottom, Sir Ross Cranston and claimant representatives if necessary).
Compensation offers under HSS to be no less than the offer recommended by Independent Advisory Panel (which is made up of a group of independent experts).
DBT to consider whether HSS claimants who accepted fixed sum offer can have opportunity to appeal under the Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeal (‘HSSA’) process.
An explanation is to be given to meaning and purpose of this the ‘Best Offer Principle’ under the HSSA (and an extra guidance document to be provided) – this will also apply to those appealing from Group Litigation Order Scheme (‘GLO’).
GLO scheme guidance documents to be amended and claimant to be given opportunity to make oral submissions at any hearings where a binding determination may be made.
HSS Dispute Resolution Team to be disbanded once claimants have settled their claims under HSS or have moved to the HSSA.
Post Office to engage in mediation during HSSA transfer window for claimants who desire mediated settlement of their claim to seek to resolve their dispute (which would entail a facilitated negotiation process with independent third-party mediator).
HSS to close – no new claims will be accepted after 27 November 2025.
DBT to explain differences in assessment of financial redress between Horizon Conviction Redress Scheme and Overturned Convictions Scheme following recent merger of schemes in June 2025.
Standing public body to be created by the UK Government to administer and deliver financial redress to those wronged by public bodies.
Financial redress to be made available to close family members affected by the Post Office scandal – DBT to create process to allow family members to claim redress if, they too, suffered serious negative consequences as a result of the Horizon scandal.
Fujitsu, Post Office & UK Government to publish report by 31 October 2025 (either jointly or separately) outlining any agreed programme of restorative justice (which would be aimed at bringing together people who have caused harm and those affected to discuss impact, take responsibility, work collaboratively to make amends)

Reflecting on Sir Wyn Williams’s recommendations, Christie commented that ‘the publication of Volume 1 of the Inquiry’s Report is aimed at rectifying the wrongdoing of the Post Office, which has continued with its unduly adversarial administration of compensation for victims of the biggest miscarriage of justice in UK history. Sir Wyn Williams’s recommendations seek to drastically improve the process for claiming compensation and, indeed, seek to widen eligibility to include not only those victims who were personally targeted, but also those family members who also suffered loss as a result of the Post Office’s actions. Many of our clients very much welcome such recommendations and are pleased with the Inquiry’s decision to publish these at this stage, as opposed to waiting until the final version of the report is ready, in what has already been a very protracted route to justice.’

The firm will now keep a close eye on the implementation of the Inquiry’s recommendations by the UK Government, Post Office and Fujitsu. Until these are implemented however, claimants require to progress their claims for compensation in accordance with the scheme processes as currently in operation.

The Specialist Litigation Team are well placed to advise victims affected by the Post Office IT Scandal. Get in touch today via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or complete our online enquiry form.via our website.